A Welsh-language film adaptation of Gary Owen's acclaimed play Iphigenia in Splott is set for release this month. Titled Effi o Blaenau, the movie relocates the story from Cardiff's Splott district to Blaenau Ffestiniog, a former slate-mining town in north-west Wales. The film stars Leisa Gwenllian, a 24-year-old drama graduate from north Wales, in her breakthrough role as Effi, a young woman grappling with poverty and austerity.
The original play, first performed in 2015, reimagines the Greek myth of Iphigenia as a working-class tale set in Splott. It follows Effie, a woman who spends her days drinking vodka from a mug while navigating the harsh realities of social inequality and public service cuts. The play received widespread acclaim, including a five-star review from the Guardian in 2022, which urged: 'Everyone should see this.'
Director Marc Evans, who co-wrote the script with Owen, chose Blaenau Ffestiniog to authentically represent a Welsh-speaking community. Producer Branwen Cennard of S4C, the Welsh-language broadcaster, insisted the film be made in Welsh with subtitles, stating: 'I wouldn't have entertained any other way.' The film adaptation drops the final 'e' from Effie's name to conform to Welsh spelling conventions.
Owen drew inspiration for the play from his own experiences living in Splott during the austerity era. He observed that cuts to public services disproportionately affected vulnerable people. A personal incident—when his second child was born prematurely and no neonatal bed was available nearby—underscored the impact of service reductions. 'It was one of those moments of going: oh, this happened because of cuts to services,' Owen recalled.
The play remains relevant, with Owen noting that 'austerity has become the normality.' Effi o Blaenau premieres this month on S4C, bringing the story to a new audience in the Welsh language.
