It was quite a night at The Riverfront Theatre in Newport last night for the launch of the brand-new musical play, BITCOIN BOI.
This production has been a long time in the making and holds a special place for many of the team at The Riverfront, who saw the beginning of the creative journey and have watched the storyline evolve. We were there for the first ever performance of a show filled with banging tunes and poppy visuals.
The story was engaging, funny and relatable From the very start you were caught up in each of the characters and wondered where their journey. As for the music, it too was catchy, funny and familiar.
Enough of us, what did the audience think of this new production?
With the work of a highly accomplished creative team well known on the Welsh theatre scene, this production is a powerful blend of a gripping storyline, inventive visual elements and fantastic tunes heavily inspired by 80s and early 90s style electro music.
Jade and her mother Crystal dream of a better life – the life promised to them by Jade’s father, before he vanished.
While struggling to deal with financial strains and individually navigating their own grief, their relationship has become fraught. Both Crystal and Jade pursue their own journey, desperately seeking solutions and happiness. While Jade relentlessly chases down a mythical fortune in a video game, Crystal is seduced by the offer of a new life from a mysterious stranger.
They say you can’t put a price on a good life. They’re wrong.
While exploring themes of grief and hope, this play will leave audiences reflecting on what is most valuable in life and the cost of the dreams that we are sold.
MEET THE CAST……
DENA DAVIES will be playing the role of Jade; an obsessive gamer, desperate to find the key to the better life that her Dad promised before he left. Dena is an actor/director from Swansea and a 2022 LIPA graduate. Her credits in training include, Everyman, Our Town and Twelfth Night. Last year she made her professional stage debut playing Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Sherman Theatre. More recently she was the assistant director on Grand Ambition’s production Sorter.
ELIN PHILLIPS plays stressed out single mother Crystal. With a mix of comedy and pure emotion Elin creates a relatable character who the audience can connect with. Elin’s many credits include (Theatre) The Clockwork Crow, Seagulls and The Populars (Volcano Theatre), Finding Home (Mercury Theatre), All My Sons, The Herbal Bed, Rape of the Fair Country, As You Like It and Animal Farm (Theatr Clwyd); (TV) Itopia (Boom Cymru), The Pact (Little Door for BBC), Will (TNT), IHA Sheelagh (S4C). (Radio) The Last Lesson (BBC Radio Wales), Writing The Century 1966 – 1970 and Lemon Meringue Pie (BBC Radio 4). Elin has also featured in two films: Love Type D (Dumpee Ltd), and Y Syrcas (Ffatti Films for S4C
GWAWR LOADER will be playing the role of Bounty Hunter. With her breath-taking vocals, Gwawr helps narrate the story and Jade’s heart-breaking journey through the levels of her game. Gwawr has a wealth of experience in theatre, TV and Radio. Her credits include (Theatre) Angamol (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru), Before I Leave and The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning (National Theatre Wales), Cyrano De Bergerac, Portrait of The Artist as a Young Dog, Skyhawk and Rape of The Fair Country (Theatr Clwyd); (TV) Lost Boys and Fairies (Duck Soup Films for BBC), Hidden/Craith (Severn Screen for BBC Four/BBC One Wales/S4C) and The Indian Doctor (Rondo for BBC); (Radio) Stalingrad: Episode 2, Superstar Me and Ten Days That Shook The World (BBC Radio 4)
ALEX PARRY will be playing the role of Jasper, the charismatic stranger who offers Crystal the chance to transform her life. Alex trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. His credits include (Theatre) Pippi Longstocking (Royal and Derngate), Burke and Hare (Watermill and West End), As You Like it (Shared Experience), After the Dance (Theatre by the Lake); (TV and Film) Protein (Broadside Films), Wargamers (Sky), Muppets: Most Wanted (Disney Pictures), Torchwood, Dirk Gently (BBC) and Empire Square (Channel 4).
This production is a Riverfront Theatre and Arts co-production, written by Catherine Dyson, directed by Hannah McPake, with music composed by Dyfan Jones and lighting by Joe Price.
Whether you’re a lover of innovative theatre, online gaming, crypto currency, 80s style electro music, or simply a great night out, this is the show for you! The collaboration of skill, precision and pure talent from the creative team behind this production has created an inspiring piece of innovative theatre that mustn’t be missed.
BITCOIN BOI is at The Riverfront in Newport through till Saturday. Performances are at 7:30pm each evening with a 2:30pm matinee on Saturday. Tickets are £16.50 with concessions coming in at £12.25. For more details, and to book yours go HERE. You can also call the team on 01633 656757
