The Conway Pageant: Pageant Plays
Pageant type
Performances
Place: Near or within Conway Castle (Conwy) (Conwy, Carnarvonshire, Wales)
Year: 1927
Indoors/outdoors: Outdoors
Number of performances: 6
Notes
12–17 September 1927, 5pm
Name of pageant master and other named staff
- Pageant Producer [Pageant Master] Jones, A. E.
Names of executive committee or equivalent
- Chairman: His Worship the Mayor (L. Chetwynd Atkinson, Esq., JP)
- Vice-Chairman: Councillor D.J. Roberts (Deputy Mayor)
- Secretary: Hugh Parry, Town Clerk
- Assistant Secretary: Arthur L. Ralphes
- Historical and Scenario Adviser: Rev. A.E. Jones, BA (Cynan)
- Director of Folk Dancing: R. Hugh Mellor
- Assistant Pageant Director: William Russell
- Assistant Tattoo Director: Geo. Ridgwell
- Musical Director: W. Matthews Williams, FRCO
- Local Choirmaster: R.O. Prichard
- Pageant Play Directors: Rev. W.E. Sangster, BA; Gwilym Hughes
- Advertising: C.E. Wells
- Booking: S. Wells
- Assistant Tattoo Master: Sergt. Major Wilde
Members of Committees and Stewards:
- 71 women, 101 men
Centenary Celebrations Executive Committee:
Prologue, 1826:- Stage Manager: Mr Gwilym Hughes
- Stage Manager: Rev. A.E. Jones, BA (Cynan)
- Stage Manager: Mr Gwilym Hughes
- Stage Manager: Rev. W.E. Sangster, BA
- Stage Manager: Mr Frank Dyall
- Stage Manager: Rev. W.E. Sangster, BA
- Stage Manager: Mr Gwilym Hughes
- Stage Manager: Mr W. Matthews Williams, FRCO
- Stage Manager: Rev. A.E. Jones, BA (Cynan)
- Stage Manager: Rev. A.E. Jones, BA (Cynan)
Notes
Extensive list of 26 patrons, including Rt. Hon. Lord Mostyn; Rt Hon. Lord Aberconway, Rt. Hon. Lord Colwyn; Rt. Hon. Lord Glanusk; The Rt. Rev. The Bishop of Bangor; David Lloyd George; Mayor of Chester; High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire; etc
Names of script-writer(s) and other credited author(s)
- Jones, A.E.
- Shakespeare, William
Notes
Shakespeare's Richard II was used in Episode VII.
Names of composers
- Parry, Joseph
Numbers of performers
400Financial information
Object of any funds raised
n/a
Linked occasion
100 years since the construction of the Conway Suspension BridgeAudience information
- Grandstand: Yes
- Grandstand capacity: 30000
- Total audience: n/a
Notes
‘Over 100000 people visited the town during the week and the total number who braved the odd mixture of weather must have exceeded 150000.’1
Prices of admission and seats: highest–lowest
n/a
Associated events
‘Daily Programme- 'The Rocket' train —Opens from 11am to 6pm in LM&S Goods Yard
- Old Time Vehicles Procession preceded by Carnival Activities—1.30pm Daily
- Historical Pageant (2000 Costumes) 2.30pm Daily
- Pageant Play in Conway Castle, 5pm Daily
- Brass Band Contest, 7.30pm Daily
- Display by Army Physical Training Team (Aldershot Command), 8.10pm Daily
- Grand Military Searchlight Tattoo 830pm to 1030pm Daily
- God Save the King
- Brass Band Contest
- Wonderful Combined Singing with Lighting Effects
- Conway Castle in Flames
- Grand Firework Spectacle by Pain’s of London
- Magnificent Lighting Effects
- Castle, Bridge, River and Town Illuminations. Yachting and Shipping Illuminations
- Welsh Folk Dancing
4s. 9d., 3s. 6d., 2s. 4d.—reserved seats. Children half-price.
1s. 2d.—unreserved.
Civic Services
- Sunday, 11 September 1927
- Divine Service at St Mary’s Parish Church, Conway, at 11.15 am. Preacher: The Right Rev. The Lord Bishop of Bangor
- Divine Service at Carmel Welsh Presbyterian Church, Conway, at 6pm. Preacher: The Rev. Sidney O. Morgan, BD. Soloist: Miss Gwen Price (National Eisteddfod Winner).
- Civic Procession: Starts at Guild Hall, Conway at 11am, for the Sunday Morning Service, and at 5.45pm from the Guild Hall for the Evening Service.
- A Sacred Concert will be held in the Arena (Benarth Field) at 8.30pm. Solos will be rendered by Miss Gwen Price (National Eisteddfod Winner) and the Band of HM Grenadier Guards will play.’
Pageant outline
Prologue. 1826
The Mayor and Bridge Commissioners hold a Fete in honour of Telford, to celebrate the Opening of the Bridge. The Mayor makes a speech to a group of the Government officials, the councillors and their wives, and several ladies and gentlemen of the district. He honours the builder Thomas Telford, and predicts that the bridge will be just as strong in 1926. He then instructs John Edwards, the Blind Harpist of Conway, to entertain the gathering with stories of the Castle and Town. He begins by singing an englyn of the Welsh Bard Dewi Wyn, written in honour of Mr Telford’s other triumph, the Menai Suspension Bridge. Telford thanks the Harpist, and pays tribute to the co-operation of his fellow workers in completing Conwy’s bridge. The Harpist moves on, and declares: ‘Though I have lost my natural sight, I can see into the past and I can see into the future.’ He states: ‘I shall raise the curtain between you and the past, so that you may see the wars, and sufferings that our beloved Wales has known. Then, through my gift of prophecy, I shall raise the curtain between you and the future, so that you may see how, when this Bridge is one hundred years old, the war-weary nations of the world shall at last come together to crown the Queen of Peace, and to enthrone her within their hearts for evermore.’
Episode I. The Roman Centurion—Conovium, c. 400 AD
The fort is alive with the troops from the famous twentieth legion. A crowd of British civilians sell goods to the Romans at the gates, and some of the Britons greet their Roman husbands. Dancing takes place until interrupted by drumming and wailing pipes in the distance, until a grim, sullen procession of Druids files across the scene—their faces dark with hatred. They are followed by a crowd of equally sullen British tribesmen, who show their disgust at the wearing of crosses by the legionaries’ wives. After they have gone, the singing and dancing resumes. At the sound of a trumpet, all the dancing stops. Envoys from Honorius Augustus approach and ride up to the commanding officer, presenting him with orders written on imperial tablets. The Commanding Officer relates to the crowd that Vandals are at the gates of Rome, and that most of the garrison of Britain must be withdrawn. The Legionnaires bid farewell to their families. Perpetuus, a centurion who has married a British girl, requests that he may stay to work for the Empire and teach the Britons to defend the coast. His wish is granted. The other men march away, crying war slogans.
Episode II. The Death of Maelgwn Gwynedd Degannwy, c. 547 AD
Maelgwn’s court is prepared for a great contest of bards and minstrels. Heralds announce, in Welsh, the arrival of Lord Maelgwyn, before his chief advisers and servants enter. Homage is paid to Maelgwn, who takes the throne. The Herald, again in Welsh, announces that Maelgwn challenges any bard to defeat the bards of his house. Several competitions ensue, with bards relating complex riddles. The winner is revealed as Taliesin, who requests as his prize the release of the imprisoned Prince Elphin. Maelgwn says he would, but he cannot undo the 13 magic locks of the dungeon. His 13 bards cruelly refuse to help. Taliesin resolves to open the locks himself, and plays the old air ‘Toriad Dydd’—which causes the locks to open one by one, to everyone’s amazement. Elphin is released, and thanks his bard. Maelgwn, impressed, tries to entice Taliesin to be a bard at his own court. The bard refuses, and prophesises Maelgwn’s demise from the Yellow Death. A depressed and angry Maelgwn drinks more wine and listens to more singing—but in the background the grim shrouded spectre of the Yellow Death can be seen approaching. Maelgwn stands his ground and draws his sword; but drops dead.
Episode III. Gruffydd Ap Cyna
Scene A. A Chester Market Place, c. January 1088 AD
It is a feast day. Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd, has been imprisoned for years in Chester Castle. He is padlocked in the square to provide entertainment for the Lord marchers and their followers. Earl Hugh’s cousin and guest, Lord Robert of Rhuddlan, passes by with his retinue, and cracks his whip at Gruffydd. The market place empties and revelry can be heard from the Banqueting Hall. Welsh knights enter disguised as drovers, before rescuing Gruffydd and killing several sentries. They gallop away. Interval. The City Watch march in, followed by Robert of Rhuddlan and the Earl of Chester, Hugh the Fat. The drunken Hugh commands his men to bring the head of Gruffydd for a ransom. They rush off to find Gruffydd.
Scene B. Gruffydd Ap Cynan Raids Degannwy, 1088.
Gruffydd Ap Cynan, Prince of North Wales, has now regained health and strength, and is once more leading his countrymen against the Norman oppressors. He and his men have raided Degannwy, which is in the Lordship of Earl Hugh’s cousin—Robert of Rhuddlan (reputed to be the cruellest of all the Lord Marchers).The Welsh are seen returning towards their ships with their plunder and prisoners. Robert awakes from his midday sleep in the Castle, with no thought of danger, when he suddenly beholds the daring marauders. He is unarmed, but in his wrath he snatches up sword and shield, begs his few unarmed retainers to follow him in a sortie, and, when they decline, throws prudence to the winds, and, attended by a single knight, rushes down on the raiders. Instantly the darts and arrows of the whole troop are directed against the two, and, as they wear no armour, they soon sink to the ground in death. The Welsh cut off Robert’s head, while their Prince cries ‘So perish all the tyrants and oppressors of Wales!’ The raiders drive off their spoils to the boats, and fix Robert’s head on the mast. But the infuriated Normans, by now fully armed, prepare to follow with other boats. Seeing this, the Welsh, acting on a counsel of discretion, throw the head overboard and make good their escape.
Episode IV. King John and Princess Joanna. The Scene is the English Camp at the Mouth of Conway, 1211
Two sentries curse the Welsh weather and lament their military campaign. The Bishop of Bangor is brought as a prisoner, who reasons that his loyalty was primarily to the Holy See and that was why he did not assent to meet the ex-communicated King. A hooded woman enters, and has to persuade the sentries to let her in. Interval. King John enters, followed by the Bishop. The angry King sends the Bishop to the dungeon. The woman approaches and reveals herself as Princess Joanna, Llywelyn’s wife and King John’s daughter. He declares her a traitor for staying with Llywelyn. She tries to reason with him, maintaining that Llywelyn was merely defending his rightful titles against John’s border barons. She tries to persuade John that he needs Llywelyn’s loyalty, and that he should be pardoned. John softens and assents, and promises to release the Bishop as well if he receives 200 Welsh hawks as a ransom.
Episode V. The Funeral of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Aberffraw and Lord of Snowdon, at Aberconwy, 1240
A procession of the Abbot, Prior and Sub-Prior of the Cistercian Abbey, preceded by acolytes; Llywelyn on a bier; his charger; his favourite hound; his sons, Dafydd and Gruffyd; his court officials, Ednyfed Fychan, Einion Fychan, and Dafydd, Archdeacon of St Asaph; his bards; lords and ladies; the common people. The Requiem is chanted, and prayers given. A solitary bard sits on a stone outside the chapel and laments the death of Llywelyn, before cutting the strings of his harp. He hears an Abbot within declaring: ‘I am the Resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.’ The bard is cheered by this ray of hope, and re-enters the chapel.
Episode VI. Edward I at Conway Castle, 1284
Wales is subdued. Edward has received the head of the brave Llywelyn the Last and despatched it to London so as to gratify the citizens with concrete evidence of his triumph. Conway Castle is under construction, directed by Henry Elreton, and observed by King Edward. The Mayor of Conway, William de Sikum, approaches to give a petition on behalf of the townsmen. A spokesmen reads from a roll: ‘We, your poor orators, rejoice with your Majesty in the conquest and subduing of this rebellious land of North Wales, and greatly thank your Majesty for constructing and building this Castle for the surety of your loyal English subjects in this town of Conway, and for the perpetual peace and good rule of North Wales to be evermore. And we would humbly petition your Majesty of your graciousness to further establish and nourish your loyal English subjects of the said towne, by granting unto us a Charter of Liberties, whereby the Town of Conway be declared a Free Borough; and that your orators may have a merchants’ guild with a hanse; also that no one who be not of the guild shall traffic in the said town of Conway; also that the Jews dwell not at any time within this town; also that no Welsh shall occupy or use any manner of crafte or merchandise within the said town, without license and agreement of the Burgesses, and that no man be admitted burgesse of the said town, but mere Englishmen.’ The King grants the charter, to wild cheering. An old Welsh Bard steps up in challenge and cries:
Ruin, seize the ruthless King,
Confusion on by banners wait;
Tho’ fann’d by Conquest’s crimson wing
They mock the air with idle state.
An archer tries to stop the bard but misses. He continues:
Helm, nor hauberk’s twisted mail
Nor e’en thy virtues, tyrant, shall avail
To save thy secret soul from nightly fears,
From Cambria’s curse, from Cambria’s tears.
Fond, impious man, think’st thou yon sanguine cloud
Raised by thy breath, has quenched the orb of day?
To-morrow he repairs the golden flood,
And warms the nations with redoubled ray.
The Bard escapes a charging swordsman and disappears into the river. The King, with a shiver, reaffirms his desire to build the castle quickly.
Episode VII. The Betrayal of Richard II, 1399
Scene A. Before the Chapel in Conway Castle
Richard II, with a handful of men, has taken shelter from Bolingbroke in Conway Castle. He is accompanied by the Bishop of Carlisle, the Earl of Salisbury, Sir Stephen Scrope, Sir William Feriby, and other lords. The King is in great dejection. A herald relates that the Earl of Northumberland has requested he may enter to make peace terms. The King assents. Northumberland enters and reads a message from Duke Henry, which promises that, if the King gives up a list of named people and restores Henry to the Grand Justiciary of England, they will come before the King on their knees and sue for mercy. The King assents, but first makes Northumberland swear on the Body of our Lord that he has ‘no hidden design whatsoever’. Northumberland and the King kneel to mass, Northumberland swearing he means no treachery. As the King departs, he reminds Northumberland to remember his oath.
Scene B. The Pass of Penmaen Rhos, an Hour or Two Later
King Richard II is seen riding on dejectedly by Northumberland’s side. They are followed by all that remains of the Royal Bodyguard (about 20 people) and Northumberland’s five retainers. Suddenly a large armed party leaps up before them from behind a rock. The King weeps, realising he is trapped. Northumberland claims that the ambush is in fact a strong guard for the wild regions, but the King realises he has been betrayed. He compares his fate to the betrayal of Jesus, and allows himself to be led on to Bolingbroke as a prisoner.
Episode VIII. The Glendower Siege
The Castle is now held by the Welsh, under Glendower’s cousins, William and Rhys ap Tudur, who captured it on Good Friday. The Red Dragon is seen flying from the castle. A hunting party returns with deer for the garrison and sings a Welsh hunting song. The Castle is then attacked by Sir Henry Hotspur and the Prince of Wales, who greatly outnumber William and Rhys. They resolve to fight their way through the crowds, and to make their way to the freedom of the mountains. Battle songs are heard, followed by a prayer. The postern is opened, and with levelled spears the Welsh rush out, singing their Battle Chorus.
Episode IX. Cavaliers and Roundheads. Two Scenes from the Life of John Williams, Aberconwy, Archbishop of York
Scene A. Within Conway Castle, May 1645
One of the sentries comes up from the gate and enters the hall, bringing Captains William Hookes and Griffith Williams, the Archbishop’s nephews. They sit down and talk about the siege of Aberconwy, mainly lamenting the poor quality of the beer. They take receipt of some oatmeal, butter, and three barrels of beer. A Lady enters and deposits a treasure chest to be kept safe until after the troubles. The Archbishop enters and gives a receipt for the treasure chest. All of a sudden a bang is heard at the gate, and a voice shouts ‘Open, in the King’s name!’ Colonel Sir John Owen, of Clenennau, has arrived and has summoned the Bishop to deliver the keys of the castle in the King’s name and by the command of Prince Rupert. The Archbishop refuses. The men seek to force entry and are successful but alarmed when they are met with the whole of the garrison. The Bishop, upon inspecting the King’s signature, relents, and hands over the keys—but requests that the treasure is returned safely to its rightful owners. Sir John arrogantly declares that he will do whatever he sees fit. The Archbishop decides to present a petition to the King in order to safeguard the treasures.
Scene B. A year and a Half Later. Within Conway Castle, 18 November 1646
King Charles is now a prisoner, his power almost entirely gone. Only Harlech Castle and Conway Castle hold out for him. John Williams, despite holding the King in the highest regard, went over to the Parliamentary Forces in North Wales to ensure that his native town was saved from ruin. The Castle was taken by parliamentary forces in August 1646. The scene opens with an attack on the castle, which is defended by Sir John Owen. General Mytton sends in a message warning that his defence can only lead to unnecessary bloodshed. Owen sends back a reply, refusing to surrender. Interval. Song: ‘Give a Rouse for King Charles’. The assault continues, and the castle runs out of water to cool the guns—Owen blames the Archbishop. Realising the game is up, he surrenders. Mytton enters with Corporal John Hones and the Archbishop. There is a formal exchange of salutes, and Owen delivers the keys. Mytton allows the Archbishop to keep his promise in guarding the treasures. A detachment of Colonel John Jones’s Welsh Troops now marches in and lines up. Jones responds: ‘Now then, my gallant lads, let us show that Welshmen can sing as well as they can fight… Let us enter this Chapel and praise God, who has granted us victory over the oppressors of his children.’
Epilogue. The Crowning of Peace
A common family of father, mother, maiden and child enter. They are waiting for the Queen of Peace to return to an empty throne, worried that she may never. They lament that she was driven out by men. A Man of Doubt enters, old and grey, and cynically declares that the Queen is now but a legend. He argues: ‘The people make a holiday. It is their fashion. They are happy for an hour—and they forget.’ Despite his negativity, the Queen of Peace now enters, led by a young man, weary and broken, dressed in soldiers’ clothes and a rifle slung over his shoulder. A crowd enters and singes a Hymn of Peace. The Queen asks: ‘O ye, who have been my people, is it your common will that I take the Throne once more?’ Although they say yes, she goes on: ‘O, my people! Will you not remember? Has it not been before? Must wisdom be for ever bought at this great price? Without me, you are nothing, and the work of your hands is dust. Why, therefore, is your allegiance frail? Why is my reign rejected? Why do men send me from their midst—only to learn once more their utter need of me?’ She nonetheless takes the throne. The young soldier asks: ‘So then, at last my task is done?’ The Queen replies: ‘A task well done.’ She again addresses the crowd: ‘Now, O, my people! As you welcome me, remember that the gift I bring you is the Young Man’s gift. Let that not pass with things forgotten. He came to seek me by the ways of sorrows, where there is always blood upon the stones.’ The father states that the young man will have his heart’s desire; he replies that his desire is to know that the little child before him will ‘never go the way I went.’ The crowd declare their loyalty to the Queen of Peace, following the Young Man. The Man of Doubt, however, is silent. Challenged by the Queen he declares that ‘It is a pledge men cannot keep… Their folly goes too deep. The old things cannot pass. What has been will always be.’ A sound of a hymn of peace can be heard from the right—unrecognised by the Man of Doubt and all others. The Maiden spots that it is people from far-away lands, carrying banners of many peoples. Heralds enter, each dressed in the colours of a different nation (France, America, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, etc.) and carrying a national flag. A spokesmen for the heralds declares: ‘The nations are weary of war, and would make an end of it for ever. Therefore, to-day they send you heralds to bring you this message: ‘From this hour forth, the peoples of the world would guard your Throne together. From this hour forth, they make your friend their friend, your foe their foe. From this hour forth, they would have strong and weak bow equally before your equal judgment, and whosoever breaks your reign they brand outlaw through the world.’ Each nation pledges to the Queen. The Herald of England then speaks: ‘I speak for the people of England! Rome had her peace—the peace of the legion and the spear. We took the peace of Rome, bettering what we took. And now we see the hope of peace wider and more abiding. It is your peace, O Queen, and to that peace I pledge the people of England.’ The Welsh herald then speaks: ‘I speak for the people of Wales! We, too, would join your service and see ourselves according to your wise direction. We would have Gwynedd and Powys and Deheubarth link hands before your Throne. We would make our tribes a people and give the Welsh a worthy place as the little sister of the nations. I pledge the people of Wales.’ The Man of Doubt finally relents and declares: ‘What has been shall teach us what should be’. The Queen is then crowned by a little child, and all declare ‘Long Live the Queen of Peace!’ She then sings a Hymn of Peace, which the audience eventually joins in with.
The Welsh National Anthem is sung, followed by God Save the King.
Key historical figures mentioned
- Telford, Thomas (1757–1834) civil engineer
- Maelgwn Gwynedd (d. 547/549) king of Gwynedd
- Taliesin (fl. 6th cent.) poet
- Avranches, Hugh d', first earl of Chester (d. 1101) magnate and founder of Chester Abbey
- Gruffudd ap Cynan (1054/5–1137) king of Gwynedd
- John (1167–1216) king of England, and lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and of Aquitaine, and count of Anjou
- Joan [Siwan] (d. 1237) princess of Gwynedd, wife of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
- Llywelyn ab Iorwerth [called Llywelyn Fawr] (c.1173–1240) prince of Gwynedd
- Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c.1215–1246) prince of Gwynedd
- Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (d. 1244) ruler in Wales
- Ednyfed Fychan (d. 1246) dynast and administrator
- Edward I (1239–1307) king of England and lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine
- Mortimer, Sir Edmund (IV) (1376–1408/9) landowner and rebel
- Richard II (1367–1400) king of England and lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine
- Percy, Henry, first earl of Northumberland (1341–1408) magnate and rebel
- Montagu [Montacute], John, third earl of Salisbury (c.1350–1400) magnate and courtier
- Gwilym ap Tudur (d. after 1401) Tudor family, forebear of
- Rhys ap Tudur (d. 1411) Tudor family, forebear of
- Williams, John (1582–1650) archbishop of York
- Owen, Sir John (1600–1666) royalist army officer
- Mytton, Thomas (1596/7–1656) parliamentarian army officer
- Jones, John (c.1597–1660) parliamentarian army officer and regicide
Musical production
Orchestra / bands and massed choir including:- Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards
- Conductor: Captain G. Miller, LRAM
- Nantlle Vale Royal Silver Band
- Conductor: H. Heyes, Esq.
- Famous Welsh Massed Bands
- Massed Welsh Choirs
- Conductor: Mr W. Matthews Williams, FRCO
- Untitled Dewi Wyn ballad (Prologue).
- ‘Toriad Dydd’ (Episode II).
- Psalm XXXIV (Episode IX).
- ‘Give a Rouse for King Charles’ (Episode IX).
- The musical items for episode VIII are adapted from the Welsh Opera, Blodwen, by Dr Joseph Parry.
Newspaper coverage of pageant
North Wales Weekly News
Liverpool Post and Mercury
The Times
Morning Post
Western Mail
The Graphic
Liverpool Daily Courier
Light Car and Cyclecar
Manchester Guardian
Daily Telegraph
Daily News
Evening Standard
Daily Dispatch (Manchester)
Western Morning News
Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer
Tamworth Herald
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
Book of words
- The Book of Words of the Conway Pageant. Conway, 1927.
Other primary published materials
- Conway Bridge Centenary Celebrations: Official Programme. Conway, 1927. Price 6d.
References in secondary literature
n/a
Archival holdings connected to pageant
- Miscellaneous Pageants, Durrant's press cuttings, 1895x1939, National Library of Wales.
Sources used in preparation of pageant
- The Ancient Cistercian Chronicler of Aberconwy Abbey.
Summary
The Conway Bridge Centenary Celebration of 1927 was a major week-long civic event, commemorating the 1826 engineering feat of Thomas Telford. Two historical pageants were produced, as well as a historical military tattoo entitled ‘The Fighting Men Through the Ages’ that portrayed soldiers who had taken part in campaigns of the past—including representatives from the First World War.3 All three were performed daily, six times in total, in arenas constructed in and around the Castle. As well as the pageants, there were a range of other attractions: Old Times Vehicles Procession; Brass Band Contests; a Display by an Army Physical Training Team; Welsh Folk Dancing; Welsh Massed Bands; and fireworks. On the final night the Castle was lit up by fireworks, as if it were on fire. The organisation of the event was dominated by civic elites from the town and county. Local government men made up the controlling aspects of the executive committee, and the extensive list of 26 patrons was a who’s who of Lords, clergy, Mayors, Sheriffs, and politicians—including David Lloyd George, who, along with his family, had been involved in various ways with pageants at Harlech in 1920, 1922, and 1927. Press reports were mostly positive, and the celebrations succeeded in bringing large crowds to the small town—despite the awful weather.
History, seen through its relationship to the present, was a key part of the celebration. As well as the actual pageants, the commemoration was used as an opportunity to reflect on the progress that the town had made in the previous hundred years, indeed centuries. In the lengthy souvenir programme, an essay on the history of the town concluded by declaring that Conway had ‘developed on modern lines without sacrificing the traditions and history of the past’. Of course, special attention was drawn to the role the suspension bridge (one of the first in the world) had played—not just for the ‘Ancient Borough of Conway’ but for the whole of North Wales.4 History was brought even further to the fore in the Book of Words. Professor J.E. Lloyd, author of the by then standard History of Wales, provided the introduction.5 After describing the beauty and historical importance of Conway, he commended the Corporation for being ‘so keenly alive to the value of its ancient heritage as to organise a great historical spectacle’ for not only visitors, but also to inspire and instruct the young people of the borough—‘the citizens who are to be.’ The pageant would reach a larger audience and make a deeper impression, making ‘history live and move’ while also conveying ‘the sense of development and progress.’ The achievements of the nineteenth century like the suspension bridge, he argued, were ‘the final stage in a long drawn tale of growth, stretching far back into the mists of antiquity’; pageants recalled ‘not only the brave deeds of Welshmen of yore, but also the process of the ages which has made Welshmen what they are today.’6
On Civic Sunday the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor preached at St Mary’s in the town and made even more connections between Welsh identity and history. According to the North Wales Weekly, he told the congregation that:
…he could not conceive anything more praiseworthy than the efforts of the present generation to acquaint themselves with all that was great and noble in the life of the past. That was what they were doing in the glorious and ancient town of Conway during the present week. The Welsh nation was proud of its valour, deeds and achievements, and he would like to see every boy and every girl in the country knowing something—and not a little—about the life and deeds of the people who had made the country great in the eyes of the world. It was the past that gave us an insight into the real meaning of life; we are the trustees of the ages that have gone.7
If by any chance the point was not yet clear to Conway’s residents and visitors, Lord Mostyn, the pageant’s primary patron, made it crystal clear when opening the festivities. Promoting the educational value of pageantry, he argued that it should assist teaching both older as well as younger generations. He also shared his wish that the history of Wales would be heard more in the primary and secondary schools, and also in the universities.8 Only one month earlier, when opening the Harlech Pageant, Alderman William George had made the same points. In contrast to Mostyn, however, George really went overboard—arguing that the relatively little attention given to Welsh history by the Central Welsh Board examination showed it was ‘regarded as of no importance by the national authority.’ He went on to share his belief that, if the Harlech Pageant was replicated in every castle in Wales, Welsh boys and girls would be able to visualise ‘the stirring deeds of valour performed in their native land centuries ago.’9 Of course, such was the proximity of the events, George’s forceful speech could not have inspired the pageants at Conway. Yet, with such similar narratives presented both in the actual performances as well as in the speeches and souvenirs, there was clearly a groundswell of enthusiasm for using pageantry to raise the profile of Welsh history.
The first pageant took place at 2.30pm, and was styled as a Tableaux Vivant. It was low on dialogue and relied instead on lots of choral and orchestral music. All of the elements of historical pageantry were still present, however. Its first episode was a prologue, featuring the spirit of Wales, followed by the choir singing the Welsh Processional Hymn of Praise. Following episodes concentrated on visually spectacular scenes, such as the Roman invasion; the coronation of Maelgwn Gwynedd; the downfall of the Welsh King Gruffydd Ap Llewellyn; and the raid of Degannwy by Gruffydd Ap Cynan, Prince of Wales—in which he cut off the head of the Norman Lord, Robert of Rhuddlan, before triumphantly crying ‘So perish all the tyrants and oppressors of Wales!’ As with the evening pageant, the betrayal of King Richard II was portrayed. In the final episode, Sir Richard Wynne of Gwydir, Chamberlain to Catherine, Queen of Charles II, was shown presenting a Conway Pearl to Her Majesty. The pageant finished with all pageant performers singing ‘Ar hyd y Nos’ (All Through the Night), followed by the Welsh National Anthem and God Save the King.
The second pageant took place at 5pm and was styled as a Pageant Play—though it was even more recognisable as a classic historical pageant than the Tableaux Vivant. Most scenes had dialogue. It was written by the Reverend Albert Evans Jones, a famous poet and director who usually worked under the pseudonym ‘Cynan’ (after becoming a member of the Gorsedd of Bards). A prominent National Eisteddfod competitor, Cynan was ‘endowed with a keen sense of drama and pageant’, and also went on to stage pageants at Caernarfon castle in 1929 and 1930. A playwright and lecturer as well, he was one of the key figures in the production of Welsh Drama between the 1920s and the 1960s.10 The pageant began with a prologue set in 1826, where the Mayor of Conway, along with the Bridge Commissioners, held a fete to celebrate the opening of Telford’s construction. The Mayor prophesised that the bridge would be just as strong in 1926, in a clear example of connecting the past to the present. ‘The Blind Harpist of Conway’ was then brought out to entertain the crowds at the fete, promising to ‘raise the curtain’ between them and the past, as well as the future—so that they may see ‘all the wars, and sufferings that our beloved Wales has known’ as well as how ‘the war-weary nations of the world shall at last come together to crown the Queen of Peace’. What followed were nine episodes, ranging from the Roman invasion to the English Civil War. Their content concentrated on important or romantic events in Welsh history both in Conway and the country more generally. War and conflict, as the Blind Harpist had promised, were indeed a main part of the narrative, used to show Welsh resistance to outsiders. In the third episode, for example, Gruffydd Ap Cynan was rescued from the clutches of the Norman, Lord Robert of Rhuddlan—who later got his comeuppance when the Welsh cut off his head. In another scene, King John, a pantomime-esque evil figure in many pageants, was seen showing anger towards Llewellyn—the dominant power in Wales—for defying John’s border barons. John’s anger was softened by his daughter, Princess Joanna—who was married to Llewellyn. In the following episode the funeral of Llewellyn was seen, with all in attendance morose at the loss of their powerful Prince. In the sixth episode, Edward I was seen during the construction of Conway Castle. A large part of the episode was the sycophantic approach of the Mayor of the town to Edward, thanking him for ‘subduing’ the ‘rebellious land of North Wales’ and asking for a town charter which confirmed not just English rights, but the Welsh lack of them. But the episode ended with an old Welsh Bard, perhaps a projection of the author Cynan’s own personality, prophesising the downfall of the ruthless king, cursed by ‘Cambria’s [Wales’s] tears’. Episode VII used Shakespeare’s Richard II, with the King being betrayed by the Duke of Northumberland. In the eighth episode, Welsh spirit was again shown when the Castle was defended by the far outnumbered Welsh (following its capture by the hero Owain Glyndwr; the episode was entitled the Glendower Siege, the anglicised name of Glyndwr). Eventually they abandoned the castle, rushing out valiantly with a Welsh Red Dragon flag and singing their Battle Chorus. In the ninth episode, two incidents from the Welshman and Archbishop of York, John Williams, were shown—a man who defended his and Wales’ honour during the English Civil War (despite changing sides halfway through!).
As the Bard promised in the Prologue, the Epilogue returned to the present, at least in a sense, by presenting a mostly allegorical scene depicting ‘the Crowning of Peace’—clearly a reference to the end of the First World War. In this long scene, an old ‘Man of Doubt’ was challenged in his belief that war would always be present. Heralds of other countries, such as France, America, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland, entered and pledged allegiance to the Queen of Peace. When the Herald of Wales did the same, the Man of Doubt was finally convinced. All then sang a hymn of peace, followed by the Welsh National Anthem and God Save the King.
Over 100000 people visited the town during the week, according to the press—significant, considering that the population of Conway was but a tenth of that figure. Even though the weather was terrible, reporters found much of value in the performances. The Liverpool Post and Mercury dubbed it a ‘triumph for Conway’s army of talented amateurs’ and commended its ‘strong and undiluted’ ‘educative appeal’.11 It was, in terms of its organisation and ideals, a classic case of inter-war civic boosterism. The people of Conway were made to feel part of a community, based on a historical tradition and contemporary pride. At the same time, local government encouraged the touristic development of the town by attracting in outsiders for the revels. Importantly, it was through a recourse to Welsh identity and history that this was achieved. The second pageant was much more reflective, in this respect bolstered by its use of dialogue. But, at points, the heroes of Welsh history were seen challenging invasion and rule in both pageants. At the same time, however, examples of a happier relationship between England and Wales were shown. Both pageants were illustrative of a Welsh national pride, but neither were seditious or overtly political in intent. It seems that the claim being made was not for political independence, at least in the sense of self-rule, but for Welsh importance and independence of culture within the Union.
Footnotes
- ^ ‘Conway’s Talented Amateurs’, Liverpool Post and Mercury, 19 September 1927, in Miscellaneous Pageants, Durrant's press cuttings, 1895x1939, National Library of Wales.
- ^ Conway Bridge Centenary Celebrations: Official Programme (Conway, 1926), 29.
- ^ ‘Conway Pageant’, Western Morning News, 13 September 1927, 7.
- ^ ‘Borough of Conway’ in Conway Bridge Centenary Celebrations: Official Programme (Conway, 1926), 25.
- ^ J.E. Lloyd, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest (London, 1911). This text went through several editions in the 1910s–1950s. See Huw Pryce, J.E. Lloyd and the Creation of Welsh History (Cardiff, 2011).
- ^ Professor J.E. Lloyd, ‘Introduction’ in The Book of Words of the Conway Pageant (Conway, 1927).
- ^ ‘Great Pageant and Tattoo’, North Wales Weekly News, 15 September 1927, in Miscellaneous Pageants, Durrant's press cuttings, 1895x1939, National Library of Wales.
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ ‘Teaching of Welsh History’, South Wales News, 19 August 1927, in Miscellaneous Pageants, Durrant's press cuttings, 1895x1939, National Library of Wales.
- ^ Thomas Parry, ‘JONES , Sir CYNAN (ALBERT) EVANS (“Cynan”; 1895–1970)’, Dictionary of Welsh Biography, accessed 29 January 2015, http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s2-JONE-EVA-1895.html.
- ^ ‘Conway’s Talented Amateurs’, Liverpool Post and Mercury, 19 September 1927, in Miscellaneous Pageants, Durrant's press cuttings, 1895x1939, National Library of Wales.
How to cite this entry
Angela Bartie, Linda Fleming, Mark Freeman, Tom Hulme, Alex Hutton, Paul Readman, ‘The Conway Pageant: Pageant Plays’, The Redress of the Past, http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/pageants/1039/