Wales Millennium Centre's Ma Billi'n Bwrw'r Bronco tours parks

The Wales Millennium Centre's first self-produced play, set on giant swings, is to be staged at parks during a tour of Wales.

Welsh-language play Ma Billi'n Bwrw'r Bronco, is set in the Swansea Valley.

It tells the story of a group of young friends who meet at the swings in 1983 and play through the summer.

The tour continues at the Vale of Glamorgan's National Eisteddfod, before moving to six more locations across Wales.

It's like coming to work everyday and having a play around on the swings”

The play, which has English subtitles focuses on the young characters' friendships and how they interact until an event which leads to the end of their childhood.

Actor Carwyn Jones, who plays Bili, said: "I think the most challenging thing about the play is having to be a nine-year-old boy.

"We went to a school the other day, just to observe from a distance the interaction between kids in a school ground situation and their physicality.

"They run around the place and it's all flapping arms and flapping legs and maximum effort and running places and not really going anywhere fast.

"Basically boundless energy - something it's hard for us older people to get into. It really is good fun, but very tough."

The cast have been practising on swings at the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC), but are preparing to perform outdoors, and will adjust their lines to their surroundings.

Director Geinor Styles said: "Now we're outdoors, there are different challenges, with traffic, people coming up to see what we're doing, dogs running around through the acting area.

"So it's not like a normal piece of theatre. But it's amazing how the actors can improvise and ad-lib and get themselves out of it."

The play sees the young characters talking of doing the Bronco - a trick involving jumping off the swing and kicking the chain and seat around the top bar.

Sion Ifan, who plays Rhys, the play's narrator, said: "The show requires us to be really physical throughout.

"We're always swinging and always running around like kids. It's been more of a challenge for some of us than others, but it's been fun.

"It's like coming to work every day and having a play around on the swings. I can't complain at all."

Until now, the WMC has never produced its own shows to tour Wales.

Producer Gareth Lloyd Roberts said: "I think we've got to a point where people understand we're really good at bringing the big West End and international shows to Cardiff.

"Now I think we feel confident we have the ability to be able to produce our own shows."

There are reserve indoor venues around Wales in case of bad weather.