Yn y gyntaf yn ein cyfres 'Cwrdd â'r Dramaydd', fe wnaethon ni ddal i fyny gyda'n Dramaydd Cyswllt, Kaite O'Reilly

Beth yw dramaydd? Maen nhw'n rhywun sy'n cefnogi datblygiad drama trwy ofyn cwestiynau allweddol, dechrau sgyrsiau, ymchwilio a helpu artist neu gyfarwyddwr i adrodd stori.

Yn 2023-24, rydyn ni'n gweithio gydag wyth dramaydd a gafodd eu dewis drwy broses ymgeisio galwad agored. Rydyn ni'n ddiolchgar iawn i Sefydliad John Ellerman am gefnogi’r rhaglen hon.

Yn gyntaf, dyma gwrdd â Kaite O'Reilly: dramodydd a dramaydd arobryn, sy'n adnabyddus yn rhyngwladol am ei gwaith arloesol ym maes diwylliant anabledd.

Mae Kaite wedi ennill sawl gwobr am ei gwaith gan gynnwys Gwobr Peggy Ramsay; Gwobr Ted Hughes am Persians, a gynhyrchwyd gan National Theatre Wales; ac enillodd ei ffilm nodwedd gyntaf, The Almond and the Seahorse wobr arbennig y Beirniaid yng Ngŵyl Ffilm Dinard yn 2022. Cafodd ei hanrhydeddu yng Ngwobr Ryngwladol Eliot Hayes 2017/18 am Gyflawniad Eithriadol mewn Dramayddiaeth.

Hi yw'r dramaydd/cyfarwyddwr naratif cynhyrchu ar gyfer theatr ddawns Peaky Blinders Rambert, The Redemption of Thomas Shelby. Mae hi wedi gweithio’n rhyngwladol o 2020-2023 ar gynyrchiadau yn UDA, Sbaen, De Corea, Tsieina, Singapore a Chymru. Hefyd mae hi wedi'i chyhoeddi gan Faber and Bloomsbury, ac mae ganddi gyfres deledu yn cael ei datblygu ar hyn o bryd.

Eisteddon ni i lawr i gael gwybod mwy am Kaite, ei dull a'r hyn oedd yn ei diddori am weithio gyda NTW…

Beth wyt ti'n ei weld fel rôl dramaydd mewn proses greadigol?

This is like peeling an onion – there’s no singular answer, as I believe the role of the dramaturg depends on where the practice is happening geographically (different countries have different definitions, infrastructures and cultures of practice), where you are in the process, and also what form (a dance dramaturg’s work is different from a dramaturg working with a devising company, is different from text-based new writing…).

When discussing this with Lorne (NTWs’ Artistic Director) some months ago I came up with a long list of different roles and approaches – from script doctor/literary management to rehearsal dramaturg, to production dramaturg, to institution dramaturg, to… It’s a good list, but I’ll need more than 100 words.

Beth yw dy ddull o ran dramayddiaeth?

I’m considered unusual in that I’ve worked across many aesthetics and disciplines, from dance to new writing, to disability arts, Deaf culture, and psychophysical performance. My ‘approach’ per se is shape-shifting. The work is situational, responding to the ecosystem of production and the intersecting interpretations and creative engagement of the company – writers, actors, dancers, directors, producers, designers – and the audiences, all tempered by the socio-political factors of time and space.

In a recent article, I defined it as: “the oil that swirls around all parts of the mechanism/body/engine... A dramaturg ‘tunes’ the engine/body, attempting to ensure all aspects are working together… with the same destination, with consistency and ‘logic’ (even if that is illogical) flowing throughout.”

Pam fod gen ti ddiddordeb mewn gweithio gyda NTW?

I have a long history and relationship with NTW, being commissioned and produced in its inaugural year (Persians, 2010) and as the official Welsh contingent in the Cultural Olympiad celebrating the London Olympics/Paralympics in 2012. In Water I’m Weightless set an important precedent – the first work written by and performed by a Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent company on a national platform (National Theatre Wales, Wales Millenium Centre and Southbank Centre).

These two productions exemplify the character and culture of NTW that continues to this day – inclusive, non-conformist, risk-taking, striving to connect with our myriad audiences and multiple identities. Who wouldn’t want to work in that context?!