Tristan & Yseult – Theatr Clwyd, Mold

Adapted and directed by: Emma Rice

There are few things quite like being swept up by a piece of theatre, and Tristan & Yseult does exactly that. Emma Rice’s vibrant revival of Kneehigh’s much-loved adaptation arrives at Theatr Clwyd with all the ingredients of a great theatrical adventure: romance, heartbreak, comedy, live music and physical theatre.

Based on the 12th-century tale, the story follows Tristan, a French knight, and Yseult, an Irish princess, whose lives become star-crossed under circumstances neither could have foreseen. What unfolds is an epic of love, betrayal, grief and destiny, but Rice refuses to treat the legend with solemnity. Instead, she gives it a playful, exuberant energy, allowing moments of genuine sorrow to sit alongside bursts of joyous vibrancy.

John Leader and Nandi Bhebhe are utterly magnetic as Tristan and Yseult. Their dynamic is hypnotic to watch, like stalks of grass caught in the same wind, bending and entwining around one another. Their chemistry never feels forced; it simply exists between them, effortless and charged. The intensity of their relationship gives the production its emotional centre, making the inevitable tragedy feel all the more affecting.

They are matched by an extraordinarily versatile ensemble, whose collective energy rarely falters. The cast seamlessly shift between characters that sing, dance and play instruments live on stage, creating a world that feels constantly in motion. Tom Fox is a particular standout, bringing sharp comedic timing and winning some of the biggest laughs of the night as Morholt/Brangian, while deftly balancing the show’s broad humour with its darker undertones.

Music is woven into the production so completely that it becomes another character in the story. The live band gives the show a wonderfully folky, otherworldly quality, while the eclectic soundtrack heightens both its comedy and its romance. Rice also has a knack for making the audience part of the action, most delightfully when they are given balloons to release overhead, transforming the theatre into something closer to a shared celebration.

Tying it all together is the stunning physical theatre. Every scene seems to breathe through movement; the choreography does not simply accompany the narrative but drives it forward. The staging feels inventive without becoming confusing, with visual flourishes arriving just when the story needs another jolt of energy.

Rice’s direction confidently allows the production to spill beyond the conventional boundaries of the stage. The fourth wall feels wonderfully porous, with performers and audience sharing the same playful space together. It is this generosity that makes the evening feel alive.

Most impressive is the production’s willingness to embrace its emotional extremes. It can be riotously funny one moment and heart-breaking the next, holding genuine sorrow and buoyant joy in the same breath. Rather than simply telling the audience a love story, it creates an experience around it.

Tristan & Yseult is music, movement, storytelling and spectacle colliding in one gloriously theatrical package. By the final bow, the result is a production that has done exactly what great theatre should: made the outside world disappear for a while.

Runs until 26th September 2026 then continues on Tour.