Price of Change

Dr. Richard Price…Wales Greatest Thinker

Price of Change
Autumn 2

Price of Change
This exciting new work by our playwright Vic Mills, with poetry by Prof Kevin Mills and an original score by Stephen J Preston, tells the story of Dr. Richard Price of Llangeinor, in the Garw Valley, near Bridgend; a man who became Wales greatest ever thinker – a hugely significant moral philosopher and mathematician, who had a great impact on world political events in the 18th century – most importantly American Independence and The French Revolution. His mathematical work makes a significant contribution to probability theory which underpins AI.

Alongside the story of Price we are told the story of Cari, a young woman who lives in the Garw Valley in an imagined near future, with Wales about to vote on its own independence, as she turns to Price for inspiration as a new day dawns for Wales.

Huw Edwards and Dr. Huw Williams discussed the importance of Dr. Richard Price at the Richard Price Centre in February 2023, as part of the Price 300 celebrations.

A cast of four professional actors brings these two interwoven stories to life, alongside a group of community volunteers from the Garw Valley, who form a ‘voice chorus’ speaking the poetry which forms a part of the play. The performance is a multi-media one, with work from film-maker Chris Lloyd forming an important part of the visual experience of the piece.

The play will be performed in the Garw Valley at Blaengarw Workmen’s Hall for two weeks at the end of September 2023 and into October, with all Secondary Schools in the borough having access to the work, as well as the public. The work is funded by Bridgend County Borough Council and the National Lottery.

The play will go on to further performances in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, and London, at the home of
Price in Newington Green later in October 2023.