The Prodigal Son -a story adapted by Dennis Griffiths

Description

Dennis Griffiths died in 1972 -but his influence on the culture and traditions of the Flintshire town of Buckley stills resounds in the area and, indeed, throughout the Principality.

Dennis was the embodiment of a community's, "leading-light". Fair-minded politics, local pride and a unique theatrical tradition of whimsy and fun would be his legacy.

He loved language, especially the hotch-potch of archaic, midland working-men's English and Cymraeg which was respected in the work-places of Flintshire as the quirky but sincere tongue of, "Buckley". When in 1969 his book, "Talk Of My Town", was published, it met with an enthusiastic reception. The idioms and expressive vernacular that generations of miners, potters and brick-makers, incoming to a burgeoning rural Welsh community, had used everyday, had at last been recognised! The "Buckley Dialect" -had arrived!

Dennis was a showman. An impresario without equal in North Wales. His annual "Buckley Pantomime" was always a sell-out -and acknowledged to be one of the best seasonal offerings on the provincial theatre scene. He was a competent musician and prolific writer who took every opportunity to embed topical characters, local traditions and spoken dialect into his scripts and subsequent acclaimed performances.

Like many folk of her generation, Buckley resident, Margaret Shone, knew Dennis Griffiths well. As a youngster, she acted in the many shows and plays he produced. Over her formative years, she grew to be a devotee of all that he stood for in the cause to champion and promote the culture of the town they so loved.

From one of Dennis's original scripts, Margaret recreates here a simple tale. She tells it as it would have been told to listeners, young and not-so as they gathered to celebrate in the clubs pubs and church halls of Buckley.

For further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckley