It’s so hard to categorise, describe and review Hugh Hughes, the alter ego of Welsh ’emerging artist’ Shon Dale-Jones. This is the fourth of his shows I’ve seen since coming across him at the Edinburgh fringe with a piece called Floating, about the day Anglesey floated off into the Atlantic Ocean! In essence, he’s a storyteller, many of whose stories are, or seem to be, biographical. He’s also quirky, charming, and completely off-the-wall.
His new show is part of a project about memories. Take a look at the web site that is also part of the project www.invisibletownstories.co.uk and you’ll probably get a flavour of the eccentricity of it all. He’s on stage with his ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ , a keyboard player and a technician. They talk about and recreate memories, with some on video, that are ignited by their ‘mother’s’ illness and subsequent home move. They cover their childhood, their relationships as children and adults, their dead father and their family home.
It’s a slower burn than usual but when it draws you in you are captivated and enthralled and you find yourself delving into your own memories. There’s a lot of warmth and a lot more depth than it seems at first. I would imagine some people find it difficult, but I find it an oasis of uniqueness in a copycat world and a highly addictive habit which, after four shows, I now feel I have developed. I’m now thinking ‘whatever next’ and I can’t wait to find out.
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 
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