West is a Welsh drama which is noteworthy for its glorious use of language and its touching, true story of a marriage. Written by Owen Thomas and starring Gareth John Bale and Gwenllian Higginson, the play, which comes to Hollywood Fringe from a successful U.K. tour, opens in a rural area of Wales, where a shy, young farmer (Bale) falls in love with a local lassie (Higginson). They marry and do their best to survive on the patch of land he inherited from his grandfather. But this proves impossible and, like millions of others in the last part of the 19th century, they decide to emigrate to the USA.
Leaving home, ancestors and a cherished way of life proves to be difficult and heart-breaking, but they eventually manage to overcome all obstacles and find success in the New World. They settle in the mid-west and begin farming again, this time on a grander, more lucrative scale. They also start a family and become U.S. citizens.
Their story is a classic immigrant tale and it is told simply but eloquently by the playwright, whose rich, poetic style will remind some of the great Welsh writer, Dylan Thomas.
This production unfolds on a near-bare stage with three cubes serving as the set. Fancy production values aren’t needed or missed, thanks to the skill of Bale and Higginson, actors who are able to weave a spell that hypnotizes from beginning to end. West is not to be missed.
