To celebrate the New Year and brighten up January 2026, Rareseed Theatre present In the Bleak Midwinter a play with original live music, by Charles Way.

If you haven’t already bought your tickets for this wonderful winter entertainment, do it quick! It’s a rare opportunity to experience one of Charles Way’s plays being performed locally.

The play is a humorous and poignant piece, infused with original live music and inspired by the medieval mystery plays. Way’s writing blends poetic imagery with earthy dialogue, making the play accessible, lively and engrossing. The setting is the Welsh Border country, not far from Bethlehem! We follow the story of Zac, a stargazing shepherd and Miriam, his challenging and pragmatic wife, as they journey through the Black Mountains to Bethlehem to register for the poll tax. Their eyes are widened and their trust tested by their experiences en route, in particular by their encounter with sheep-stealer Mak and his wily girlfriend Gill.

Rareseed Theatre combines the skills of local, talented performers and musicians.

The In the Bleak Band, have composed a haunting original score for this production, which they perform live. Musicians include: Linda Owen Jones and Antwn Owen Hicks from the Welsh folk band Carreg Lafar, Mansel Davies, guitarist, singer and songwriter and Mari Davies flautist and singer with the acapella group The Hollywells.

A fabulous troupe of actors have been brought together for this production by their previous professional links with Gwent Theatre and Rareseed Theatre.

You can see the production on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 at 7.30 in the Clarence Hall Crickhowell and pon Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24 at 6pm and Sunday, January 25 at 12.30 in the Retreat, Llanover (these performances include a festive meal).

Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.com or from the venues.