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I became a playwright in 1996, having been an avid theatregoer throughout my life (averaging around 120 plays a year – watching, not writing!) I semi-retired from my day job shortly thereafter and for the next 25 years I worked only part-time, allowing me time to write. I ventured briefly into the world of television and wrote a couple of screenplays, although this pretty much came to nothing, except for TAPS making a short film of one of my scripts starring (a virtually unknown) Benedict Cumberbatch and Georgia Mackenzie, which was cool, and sufficient to get me BAFTA membership. Since the pandemic, theatre in the UK has never really found its way back to what it used to be, and so my attention has drifted more towards film. I am now fully retired from my day job and whilst I still visit the theatre two or three times a month, I now watch upwards of 500 films a year (crazy, but true!) Since I watch so many films and can write, I decided to create a blog – it seemed a very 21st-Century thing to do.
REVIEW: Effi o Blaenau ★★★★☆

REVIEW: Effi o Blaenau ★★★★☆

Effi o Blaenau is a 2026 Welsh drama film directed by Marc Evans from a screenplay by Branwen Cennard. It is an adaptation of Gary Owen’s 2015 play Iphigenia in Splott. It had its world premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival in March and was released in the UK on 19 June.

Effi (Leisa Gwenllian), is a young unemployed woman (in fact a teenager), who anaesthetises herself against her humdrum hopeless existence in run-down hopeless Blaenau Ffestiniog by drinking heavily, in fact ludicrously heavily, with her best mate Leanne (Nel Rhys Lewis) and her ‘friend-with-benefits’, the somewhat hapless Kev (Owen Alun). Her grandmother (Carys Gwilym) attempts to look out for her but the drunk/hungover (depending on the time of day) Effi is far from grateful, berating her for her kindness, and abusing her curtain-twitching neighbour into the bargain.

A chance encounter in a Llandudno nightclub with injured soldier Lee (Tom Rhys Harries) potentially changes everything and provides some hope. However, for Lee it was not love at first sight and he ignores her many attempts to get in touch with him following their one night together. Then the inevitable happens – there are consequences of their night together – and a heartbreaking sequence of tragic events is set in motion.

I understand that the film is an adaptation of Iphigenia in Splott which in turn, I believe is loosely based on the Greek myth relating to the sacrifice of Agamemnon’s eldest daughter, however I am not quite getting the links. The fate of the mythical Iphigenia is facilitated by Agamemnon’s lie, promising Iphigenia that she is to marry Achilles; maybe Effi’s belief that Lee is ‘the one’ for her is the link here, and I guess just as Effi can be distilled from Iphigenia, so Lee is there in Achilles. Just about. (Thanks, Alex, for the suggestion.)

However, the link is not important. What matters is that this is a terrific story. All the elements are first rate, from the screenplay and direction through to the performance, but the star of the show in every way is Leisa Gwenllian: she tackles the role like an absolute force of nature, taking you with her every step of the way. We are going to see a lot more from this exciting young talent over the coming years.

Effi o Blaenau is an excellent film and, if you get the chance to see it, you really should!

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