Overview
Welsh word 'hiraeth' has no direct translation, though is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a homesickness for a home you cannot return to, or that never was.”
The namesake production by touring ensemble Buddug James Jones Collective will strike a cord with anyone who has felt the need to escape, or responsibility for those left behind. Through live music, an inflatable dinghy, interchanging characters and Welsh cakes, Hiraeath follows one woman's struggle to escape from rural Wales to study art in the bright lights of London. Desperate to leave after meeting a well-travelled musician in the local pub, Buddug wrestles with the knowledge that her departure to the big smoke will sound the end for the three hundred year old farming dynasty. But is the grass greener on the other side?
As well as being given the tick of approval from local funny man Jermaine Clement, Hiraeth has racked up a number of awards across the globe, including 'Best Production in the English Language' at the Wales Theatre Awards 2015 and the IdeasTap Underbelly Award 2014. The New Zealand season will see its final run at Auckland's Basement Theatre from November 3 - 7.