Well obviously it was not performed in Welsh, but judging by this reaction from the Guardian Arts Correspondent, Charlotte Higgins, it might as well have been.
She left her cosy London office last week and bravely endured the hazardous crossing of the Bristol Channel in pursuit of high art. Arriving at the iconic Senedd building for a pre-performance reception it seems that she was taken aback at having to listen to Wales' Heritage Minister through the medium of a set of headphones. Shock, horror, he spoke Welsh!
Her comment that this 'may be pushing the point about Britain's linguistic diversity just a little far' indicates that she should get out more. Presumably she thinks that Alun Ffred Jones used Welsh for effect, not just because it is his primary language of communication.
It must be really difficult working for the Guardian, especially when the editor insists that his reporters abandon their safe desks in the heart of the English metropolis and rough it in the provinces. If he did it more often then the paper's arts correspondents might discover that Britain has a rich and diverse linguistic and cultural tradition, not all of which is delivered through the medium of the English language.
Hat Tip to Alwyn Ap Huw for bringing this to my attention.
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