REVIEW: ' Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift' at The New Theatre There's a piece of theatrical history taking place at the New Theatre this week - the first stage production of the long-running and hugely popular TV crime favourite Midsomer Murders . The Killings at Badger's Drift was the very first episode of this ITV staple, based on Caroline Graham's 1987 novel and reaching the screen a decade or so later, it now finds its way to the stage in a very entertai

Local club profile Rhiwbina Camera Club (RCC) was established in the village in 1958, and is now in its 68th year.  One member's research shows it is the second oldest club in Rhiwbina, after the Recreation Club and, it is believed, it is one of the oldest photography clubs in Wales.   All photographers are welcomed, regardless of experience or equipment used - just a shared interest in photography is needed. Some members are complete beginners, while others are highly exper

REVIEW: The Ballad of Johnny and June at The New Theatre This week, The New Theatre is presenting The Ballad of Johnny and June  which portrays the love story between the legendary Johnny Cash, and his loving wife June Carter Cash. We were invited to last night's (Tuesday 10 March) opening night. The story is told through the eyes of John Carter Cash, the pair's beloved son, played by Ryan O’Donnell, who tells the tale of his parents' love story, mentioning the highs and lows

The Ballad of Johnny & June , which comes to the New Theatre, Cardiff next week (10-14 March) tells the rollercoaster story of country music power-couple, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. American musical theatre star Christopher Ryan Grant, who played Cash in the US and Canada, brings his acclaimed portrayal to the UK stage for this tour, with Christina Bianco as the multiple Grammy winner June .    Packed with hits including I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Hey Porter, Jacks

REPORT: Friends of Rhiwbina Library talk - Stories of the Stars: an evening storytelling event for grown-ups    W hat did our ancestors see when they looked up? How did they make meaning of the constellations above them, the night skies, and the shapes of light that pinpricked the darkness?  In celebration of Wales Dark Skies Week, award-winning storyteller Tamar Williams presented legends of the stars on a wet and windy evening at Rhiwbina Library (Friday 20 February), delvi

REVIEW: '2:22 A Ghost Story' at New Theatre This award-winning supernatural drama from the pen of Uncanny podcaster Danny Robins opened in Cardiff last night (Monday) to an enthusiastic reception. There are goosebumps, jump-scares, and laughter, as the events of one night unfold in the old house, where new parents Jenny (Shvorne Marks) and Sam (James Bye) are trying to settle in. Jenny is convinced the house is haunted - she hears noises at 2:22 every night in their baby's be

The spooky stage phenomenon 2:22 A Ghost Story returns to Cardiff's New Theatre next week (Monday 16 - Saturday 21 February). Winner of Best New Play at the WhatsOnStage Awards, this edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller is written by Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcasts Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist . Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t convinced. Can the dead really walk again? There's certainly something unsettling in thi

REVIEW: 'Full House' at The Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Full House brings bingo and the valleys together to tell a sad, yet heart-warming story of a girl seemingly content with her lot but dreaming of better things. The performance took place in the Sherman Theatre studio, the seating in cabaret style and the set resembling a bingo hall, complete with obligatory glitter and glitz. The audience, or the bingo participants, were entertained by an '80s playlist and by Sam, bingo ca

It’s Wednesday lunchtime at Beulah United Reformed Church and a room full of people are listening to four young singers from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) Opera School perform for us. Outside, life carries on, but inside there’s a sense of something special as we listen to Mozart, Handel and other great composers. Seeing such talented young performers, and to have access these performances in Rhiwbina village, feels like a real privilege. To understand th

Rhiwbeina Primary School’s British Sign Language Choir were invited to perform at Cardiff’s annual Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Conference this week. The choir, comprising 28 pupils from Years 5 and 6, performed in front of more than 150 delegates - their biggest audience so far.   The young performers have embraced British Sign Language to celebrate inclusion and support their peers. They showed the power of creativity and communication when they entertained delegates wit

REVIEW: 'Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts' at New Theatre, Cardiff Audiences at the New Theatre this week are transported back to Oxford in 1987 - for the first stage production of Inspector Morse . House of Ghosts , which began its Cardiff run tonight (Tuesday), opens with a production of Hamlet at the Oxford Playhouse. All is going well in this play within a play, until the promising young actress playing Ophelia collapses and dies on stage. Amid the panic and distress, he

Beina Beats started as a simple idea in a local pub in December 2024. Ten local music lovers sat around a table talking about how many grassroots venues were closing, how hard it was becoming to find intimate live music spaces, and how much we all wanted something special right here in Rhiwbina. Instead of waiting for someone else to make it happen, we decided to do it ourselves. What’s grown from that conversation is Beina Beats. Started in 2025 as a hugely successful one-ni

After 10 very successful years, the ending in July of Monico Movies, Rhiwbina's own community cinema, was a sad occasion for the village, regular audience members and the crew themselves. Previously, we reported on the generous donation of Monico Movies' equipment to Hwb Y Gors in Ammanford. And now the Monico Movies team have further cemented the legacy of the local cinema by making a financial donation to Made in Wales, a Film Hub Wales project. Film Hub Wales' objective i

A locally made animated short film has just dropped its first teaser trailer. A Fish Out of Water , co-written by our own Andy Weltch and award-winning Rhiwbina-born scriptwriter Robert Lancey, is now swimming steadily through production. The teaser offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the animation magic taking shape. Billed as “a tale of the fantastical and bizarre,” the film follows Victorian investigator Henry Godliman, voiced by the much-loved TV actor Robert Daws (from

REVIEW: 'Sleeping Beauty' at The New Theatre Panto season is back and is in full swing at The New Theatre, with Sleeping Beauty ! We all know the story of Princess Aurora, who sadly lost both of her parents. She is raised by Nurse Nellie, and is protected by her, and the Spirit of Pantomine up until her 21st birthday when the evil Carabosse is plotting her revenge in order to get the throne. Luckily for Aurora, she has the help of Nurse Nellie, the Spirit of Pantomine, Muddle

REVIEW: 'The Frog Prince' at Sherman Theatre The Frog Prince is currently playing at The Sherman Theatre, and we were lucky enough to go and have front row seats to one of the performances! It follows the story of a young princess, Biwti, and her father, the King, who both love Christmas. Like most families, they spend the day together celebrating and want the day, as well as everything else in life, to be “perfect”. During the planning of their special day, her father gifts

REVIEW: 'Alice: Return to Wonderland' at Sherman Theatre The seasonal festive cracker from the Sherman Theatre was much anticipated in our house after a couple of immensely pleasing December visits, and it once again exceeded all expectations. Billed as a spectacular and supremely silly adventure into Wonderland, the show is based on Lewis Carroll's 1871 novel, Through the Looking-Glass . But we are removed to a 1940s Cardiff via the direction and words of Sherman regular Han

The New Theatre's eagerly waited pantomine Sleeping Beauty opens on Saturday (6 December). Once upon a time in a land far away, Princess Aurora is given a 21st birthday present by her evil aunt Carabosse. By pricking her finger on an enchanted spinning wheel she is placed under a curse and forced to sleep for 100 years.  Who will outwit the evil Carabosse and foil her wicked plans?  The show promises magic, music, comedy and special effects.   Gethin Jones stars as Prince Ge

A new book by a local author aims to 'lift the lid' on the history of Whitchurch - a North Cardiff suburb which has been the site of conflict, agriculture, and heavy industry over the centuries. One Man's Whitchurch - A Step Back in Time by Terry Chard is published this weekend (30 November), and it covers parts of Rhiwbina too, as they used to be in Whitchurch parish. Terry said the book "acts as a reminder of how much history and heritage has been lost and not just lost,

REVIEW: 'Death on the Nile' at New Theatre, Cardiff A new production of an Agatha Christie classic has arrived in Cardiff, offering the chance to leave chilly South Wales for a luxurious cruise under the Egyptian sun. Death on the Nile opened to a packed house at the New Theatre last night (Tuesday 25 November), and the audience was not disappointed. This is another high quality Christie adaptation from the team that gave us Murder on the Orient Express earlier this year. W