I've been to St David's hall a couple of times now, mainly for comedians like Ross Noble and Sean…read moreLock. As a venue, it plays hosts to a huge variety of acts and entertainment. In the coming week alone you can see acts as varied as Stan Stennett (?), Brian Conley, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Roy Chubby Brown. It's not the most aesthetically interesting or pleasing venue in Cardiff, being beaten hands down by the Millenium Centre in the Bay, but it nevertheless remains the favoured venue for most acts, probably due to it's slightly larger seating capacity of 2000 (as opposed to 1897 in the Millenium Centre). It still hosts the annual Welsh Proms aswell. My own experiences have all gone pretty smooth, with very little queuing and helpful, professional staff. I suppose it's good that there's nothing of note I can really say here, as the things that would tend to stick in your mind about something as general as a concert hall would in all likelihood have been bad experiences anyway. It's a top venue though and it's important to Cardiff as a city to have somewhere encouraging the arts and being constantly active in doing so.

I have always found St David's Hall to be a little bit of a strange venue. That's not to say it's…read morenot good. Just odd. I think that's because it was, when built, quite a modern design, and that design was not universal enough to quite stand the test of time. What remains is an odd mixture of wood, green carpets and wide areas which make sense when they're full of people, but which are just tired when not. That being said, the selection of music, comedy, ballet and theatre in this venue is great. The theatre itself is vast, but seems much more intimate because of their carefully tiered seating. Seats encompass the stage, and there is a massive organ on display. Unfortunately, I've always found this venue to a little dampening to sound. Or the speakers aren't loud enough, or something. A good venue though.

This is a great place to go watch a show. Very enjoyable experience watching bedknobs and brooms…read moresticks, slight technical problem but still enjoyable. The seats were comfortable and view was great. Staff friendly and helpful. Great experience and thoroughly enjoyed will return to watch another show.

A little while ago I went to this venue to see Aled Jones take on the role of Caractacus Potts in…read more'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and finally got to see this splendid new building from the inside. Most people who are at all familiar with Cardiff would recognise the armadillo/woodlouse outer shell of the Wales Millennium Centre, and the giant lettering gracing its sides. But, unfortunately, few people seem to have actually ventured inside. The space is modern and clean, without looking barren, as so easily might have happened. The theatre itself has excellent leg-room, comfortable seats and pretty much unrestricted views. I sometimes struggle with low volume when attending musicals, but the acoustics were excellent, and every word clear as a bell. As well as shows and events, there are also food outlets and guided tours available. There are also free performances most days on the Glanfa stage, which are certainly worth checking out.

Earthfall is a pioneering, radical hybrid dance-theatre company that puts on exciting, energetic…read moreand unique productions. Since forming in 1989, the company has become widely known and very well-established across Wales, has won several awards, and has performed all over the world at major festivals. They've featured on TV programmes and have been involved in film work, winning the Bafta Cymru Award for Best Short Film for 'Too Old To Dream'. Unlike most conventional dance companies, Earthfall uses some performers who are not trained dancers, and brings political and social issues into the dance arena, as well as using sound and installation in their productions, alongside dance and theatre. If you haven't seen an Earthfall production, find out what they have coming up ('The Factory' is on in October 2010) - and get yourself a ticket! You're unlikely to have seen anything quite like it before.

Jessica Cohen and Jim Ennis formed this pioneering dance theatre company over 20 years ago and have…read moregarnered a reputation for issue-based work that combines radical choreography with live music and strong visual imagery. The award winning troupe seek a deeper experience of physical theatre resulting in performances that are gritty, emotional and often stamped with the word 'mesmerising' in press reviews. Earthfall as a company continue to develop and explore their relationships across the globe, they have regularly worked with companies in both Poland and Brussels, and have toured internationally across France, Germany, Holland and South America. This August will see Earthfall continuing their international work through a co-production of their 2005 show After The Birds, with CHOREA, a polish based theatre company. Earthfall are financially supported by the Arts Council of Wales and the Lottery Division of the Arts Council of Wales.

Striking Attitudes is a professional total theatre dance company based in Cardiff who aim to…read moreprovide approachable theatrical dance that welcomes both experienced and new dancers. In recent years much of their work has been with the older dancer - professional and community - through dance classes, workshops, live performance and film. They currently run a regular series of creative dance and movement classes and occasional workshops in Cardiff for the older dancer. Striking Attitudes uses dance, text and visually compelling imagery to create original choreography and examine the physical wisdom of the mature dancer. The company also aims to be a force for change at a time when the number of older people in our society is rapidly growing, and to be a voice for Wales by engaging in international dialogue and partnership. Striking Attitudes are; Artistic Director and Choreographer - Caroline Lamb Co-Director - Wyndham Price Rehearsal Assistant - Janet Fieldsend

The Arts Centre showed a live RSC production of Love's Labour's Lost tonight and it was a lot of…read morefun. We sat on the balcony where the seats were arranged as in a theatre. Downstairs there were chairs grouped around tables and I saw people enjoying the Shakespeare while at the same time enjoying their wine. A little bar is on site selling spirits, wine and coffee. They might sell beer too but I never look for it so I can't remember seeing it. There was a cafe next to the bar but it was closed during the intermission, it looked cute though. It was my first time at the Arts Centre and I'll be going back now that I know what an impressive and diverse line up it has. There is a small car park across the road but we found parking on the street as it was after 6pm.

I would totally agree with the first review of this place. It's a really good place for…read moreentertainment in Pontardawe, something you'd expect to find in a large town or city. I've been lucky enough to see a few great acts there - Jo Brand was my favourite to see, she was hilarious. My husband has just been to see Fish (remember him? From Marillion??). There's always a good atmosphere whenever I've been there. They also show films there, usually weekly. These showings tend to be quite quiet, and it's cheaper than going to any other cinema around here. Well worth a visit - keep an eye on their website or ask to be added to their mailing list. For the more famous names, they sell out quite quickly, so book sooner rather than later!

MMMMMMMMMMMM. Yeah. Huh? Sorry? UHHUH…read more Excuse my mumbling. What I was trying to tell you is that UHHUH are an inclusive dance theatre company with 'an artistic preference for individual creative expression.' They like to celebrate the diversity of dance and dancers by including people of different physicalities, movement vocabularies and ages. Mostly, they aim to produce accessible and challenging dance theatre. The Cardiff-based contemporary dance theatre company has ambitions. These ambitions include a desire to stay active and prolific, working in Wales and further afield. UHHUH was founded in 2001 by Sarah Hall and Jon Luxton, and began life as Talking Bodies, offering inclusive dance workshops at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. In 2002, Talking Bodies ran a season of inclusive dance workshops with visiting practitioners including Adam Benjamin and Petra Kuppers. Following the success of the workshops, Talking Bodies took a mandatory break whilst Sarah had a baby - fair enough, right? - and subsequently retrained. Jon continued to pursue his creative passion individually, with performances with Blue Eyed Soul (a Shropshire based inclusive dance company) and Cardiff-based Found Reality. Since 2006, UHHUH dance has had a limited output but still put on the occasional has full length shows, receiving strong support from funders and their audience.

Never been to he Dolman Theatre before but impressed, especially with the "Just Dance 3"…read moreperformance by Le Clare School of Dance !!)

'What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the…read moremusic play. Life is a Cabaret, old chum, Come to the Cabaret. 'Put down the knitting, The book and the broom. Time for a holiday. Life is Cabaret, old chum, Come to the Cabaret. 'Come taste the wine, Come hear the band. Come blow your horn, Start celebrating;' Ready? This local drama club meets on a Monday evening at around 7.30pm at Rumney Memorial Hall. They put on two theatrical productions a year - a pantomime at Christmas and a play in the summer. Members can take part in the performances as an actor or actress or, if they preferred, they could help out back stage with wardrobe, set production, lighting and sound or just generally help out with ticket sales, programmes etc. please contact Mark Williams via rumneydramaclub@hotmail.com for more information.

The Grand Theatre in Swansea has to be visited just for it's wonderful interior let alone great…read moreproductions. The Grand has hosted some fantastic shows, as well as concerts and also has an Art Wing which as well as hosting some great exhibitions has lunchtime performances and a Comedy Club on a regular basis. Acoustics are great in the theatre and even up in the eaves of the Upper Circle performances are clear to hear. There are a few restricted view seats but they are generally sold at lower prices and having sat in one a couple of times, only slightly restricted for most performances.

I have a deep-seated love of the Grand Theatre as to me, it always seemed like an enormous hub of…read morethe arts and for a while, the ultimate stage on which to perform. It's an old, slightly falling apart Victorian theatre - you know the kind, gilding throughout, red velvet seats (bit shabby though, now), stalls, circle, upper circle Now that I'm a super mega star in London, Swansea Grand Theatre seems to be a quaint relic. The programming here is not great, big touring musicals and big name comedians mostly - as well as the panto of course. Which Neighbours star will feature this year? There is an Arts Wing upstairs which allows for slightly more interesting studio performances of smaller shows. Another strong memory for me was ballet classes here on a saturday morning - entering through stage door and scrambling through all the back passages, past dressing rooms and stage exits to get to the dance studios. Felt very showbiz as a kid. The Footlights cafe bar downstairs is alright, but because the theatre is located right in the middle of the city centre, you can find lots of places to enjoy a pre/post show drink/bite.

With Cowbridge being the most affluent town in South Wales, and possibly the entire country, it…read morecomes as no surprise that they have a couple of galleries, despite being a small market town. This is the more conventional of the two in that it is curated by the owners and displays an ever-changing stream of work by local and internationally acclaimed artists. The other, Sue McDonagh Artist Studio & Gallery, as the name suggests, is a personal endeavour on the part of the artist-owner Sue McDonagh. I appreciate both galleries immensely., and feel tat they enrich the creative wealth of the town considerably. These galleries, coupled with the fact that there are a wealth of artisans working in the town also, means that the cultural heritage of the town is assured. The price tags accompanying the work regularly exhibited here can be hefty, but with a good selection of prints, which you can either self-frame, or draw on the services of the gallery, and their expertise in this field, there is an eminently affordable means of putting something fine on your walls.

It's such a shame that Kingfisher gallery is closed on a Sunday because it's exactly the kind of…read moreplace you'd stroll around on a lazy day out in Cowbridge. Still, it's a great little gallery that stocks paintings and sculptures by local and well established artists. If you don't have the budget of a collector, fear not because some prints are available to buy which make excellent gifts. The atmosphere is laid back and welcoming and the space itself has great light (which is sort of what you want in a gallery). There isn't a great deal of edgy/modern pieces (don't expect to see a dismembered doll or a Banksy) but if you like the gentle classics you'll love it here.