National Theatre Wales presents The Cost of Living

A Swansea Grand night-out of music, theatre and protest
A three-part experience that takes a two-fingered swipe at the cost of living crisis. Join us for some of it, or all of it. It’s your choice.

Part 2:
Joseph K and the Cost of Living
7.30 – 9pm | 14+
Jo K has a well-paid job in financial services. K barely notices the growing chaos all around on the walk to work each morning, the homeless lining the street, the food banks, the anger, the protests, the relentless rise of the cost of living, and those who cannot afford to meet it. Until one day, K is arrested. No-one will tell K what the charges are, but still they must be answered. Suddenly K is on the outside looking in, and it’s cold and frightening out here.

Emily White’s adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial, weaves the nightmare of arrest and trial into a performance that highlights the never-ending price we pay at the mercy of arbitrary, unaccountable and insatiable power.

Our ensemble cast directed by Lorne Campbell with Anthony and Kel Matsena ask us to consider the absurdity of our relationship with power in a funny, physical and powerful take on Kafka’s classic tale.

Part 3:
F**k the Cost of Living
9.15 – 9.45pm | 14+
Join Minas for a performance full of joy and catharsis. Protest music for the moment, and for Wales. Joined by some very, very special guests, including HMS Morris and Ayoub Boukhalfa.

Note: Part 3: F**k the Cost of Living will not take place on 17 March

Pre-Show | Part 1:
Counting the Cost of Living
5.30 – 7pm | All ages welcome
When things always seem to get worse, it’s hard to see how things will ever get better. We want to connect you with the powerful over a shared meal. Rather than politicians, police chiefs, council leaders and commissioners answering the questions, they will instead be asking you. You’ll get to explain your experiences of the crisis to the people and institutions who define your life, and share the daily price you pay. We want to explore how it doesn’t have to be like this.

There is limited capacity for Counting the Cost of Living. Reserve your spot here once you’ve booked your ticket.

Presented across multiple screens, you’ll also watch a moving portrait of today’s real Joseph K’s drawn from communities across South Wales most affected by the cost of living crisis.

Note: Part 1: Counting the Cost of Living will not take place on 17 March

Useful information

Access

BSL interpretation across all parts by Tony Evans and Sami Dunn on 22-23 March
Live captioning via iPads for Part 1: Counting the Cost of Livingand Part 3: F**k the Cost of Living on 22-23 March
Captioning via iPads available for Part 2: Joseph K and the Cost of Living every evening
Audio Description by Owen Pugh 24-25 March

Warning: Synthetic fog and flashing lights are used during this performance.

We don’t want to give away too many spoilers for The Cost of Living, but the production does contain material some people will find upsetting. If you would benefit from knowing the specific content and themes in each part, Click here (PDF) [137KB]

Tickets

Your ticket covers access to all parts. However, Part 1: Counting the Cost of Living has limited capacity. Reserve your spot here once you’ve booked your ticket.

Counting the Cost of Living | National Theatre Wales

All tickets are Pay What You Decide. You can choose to pay a price that works for you. We know price is a barrier for some, so those who can afford to pay a little more for their ticket will help us to support those who can’t.

Seats are unallocated so if you buy the cheapest ticket you can still sit where you choose.

Rehearsals

If you’d like a sneak peek into how the show is shaping up, join us from 3-5pm on 17 February, 24 February or 3 March. Get in touch with Glesni, our Producer at glesnipricejones@nationaltheatrewales.org if you’d like to join us.