LOVECRAFT (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff), A One-Woman Show By Carys Eleri, Comes to Red Lecture Theatre

Lovecraft (Not the Sex Shop in Cardiff) a co-production from Carys Eleri and Wales Millennium Centre, comes to Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe 2018. Lovecraft is a one-woman-comedy-science-music-show written by BAFTA Cymru best actress nominee, Carys Eleri exploring the neuroscience of love and loneliness.

Actor Carys Eleri, always considered herself a larger-than-life sociable character but has, at times, suffered from loneliness. If she's been affected then so have millions of other people.

Through a series of funny, brutally honest and touching monologues, ludicrously funny songs (The Love Monger, Space and Time, Tit Montage) and animations, Carys draws on personal experiences, and a long-standing fascination with the neuroscience of love, in order to share what she has discovered about the science behind love and loneliness, why it makes us do crazy things and why 'cwtching' is the answer (Welsh for hugging - it's all in the oxytocin guys!)

Lovecraft was researched alongside neuroscientist, comedy writer and stand up comedian, Dr Dean Burnett , whose books include 'Idiot Brain', Happy Brain', 'Brain Flapping'.

Music producer Branwen Munn, previously of electronic music group 4Hero, has created a soundtrack that traverses musically from Grime to Garage, to Jazz and Power Ballads.

Writer Matt Hartley (EYAM, Shakespeare's Globe, Autumn 2018) is the dramaturg and this whole trip on the love road is directed by Artistic Director of Neontopia, Mared Swain, whose production of Alun Saunders' A Good Clean Heart played to great acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016.

Animations are by Cardiff's Lauren Orme (Channel 4, ITN, Ffilm Cymru Wales), artwork by Swcidelic (Mared Lenny) and chocolates sponsored by NomNom Cymru.

Lovecraft, the sex shop in Cardiff was immortalised by chart-crashing Welsh indie-rock heroes Super Furry Animals with their 2005 album 'Love Kraft'. Carys aspires to do her show IN the shop by the end of the year. It's an iconic landmark in the Canton area of Cardiff where Carys and some members of the furries live.

Commissioned for Festival of Voice at Wales Millennium Centre.

Last year, Carys Eleri was nominated for a Welsh BAFTA for playing the lead character, a vicar, in 'Parch' by Fflur Dafydd for S4C. In stark contrast, two years ago, she joined the notorious 'Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon' singing backing vocals and occasionally taking the lead with some heavy metal vocals. In 2013 she won The Norman Beaton Fellowship and a 5-month contract with the BBC recording several radio plays for Radio 4. New Scientist subscriber 2010-present. 'Lovecraft (Not the Sex Shop in Cardiff) is her first written piece, combining her passion for music, theatre, comedy, science and human beings.

Wales Millennium Centre is a landmark arts venue and a cultural destination, which presents the best available touring talent from across the globe as well as creating its own productions.

The Centre is a charity whose aim is to Inspire our Nation, Impress the World. This is achieved by creating inspirational and life changing experiences that broaden horizons and touring productions that showcase Wales to the world.

On its 7.5 acre site in Cardiff Bay, the Centre has a 1900 seat lyric theatre, named after its founding patron Sir Donald Gordon which is designed for opera, large scale musicals, ballet and contemporary dance. Other performance spaces include the 250 seat theatre - the Weston Studio, a 160 seat cabaret venue, a dance house, a 350 seat recital hall and a state of the art recording facility - BBC Hoddinott Hall.

Wales Millennium Centre is also home to eight other cultural organisations, including Welsh National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Literature Wales, as well as inclusive arts organisation, Hijinx Theatre and the Touch Trust.

Annually the Centre receives over 1.5 million visitors making it Wales' number one visitor attraction. For further information about the Centre please visit: wmc.org.uk.

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