Bangor and Aberystwyth audiences can catch Shôn Dale-Jones’ award-winning one-man show when it comes to Pontio on Thursday, 24 October and Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Friday, 25 October.

In ‘The Duke’, Shôn playfully mixes fantasy and reality, and takes audiences on an imaginative and touching journey, gently challenging them to consider their priorities in a world full of crisis.

The Fringe First wining show has over 20 four star (plus!) reviews and explores kindness, generosity and the value of what we do. It’s funny, poignant and heart-warming and is the perfect pick-me-up for these cold autumnal nights.

Shôn said: “In 1974 my father invested £750 (£9,800 in today’s money) in a Royal Worcester porcelain figure of The Duke of Wellington on horseback - made to celebrate his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

“He kept the figure we affectionately called The Duke, wrapped in sponge, in a big box, under his bed. After he died in 2001, my mother decided to take the figure out and display it on the table in the bay window.

“Since 2005 I've been working on a film script, which is in the very final stages of development. In the spring of 2024 I sit at my desk waiting for an email that will tell me what I need to do to the script to get it onto the screen. I turn the radio on. I listen to a report about the refugee crisis. My mother calls. She tells me she’s broken The Duke. My mother, my film script and the refugee crisis all need my attention.”

‘The Duke’ received The Scotsman's Fringe First Award when it premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, was highly commended in the Sit Up and Act Awards and it has received 20 x 4-star reviews.

In early 2018, ‘The Duke’ was made into a radio play for BBC Radio 4, achieving ‘Pick of the Week’ and it was nominated for a Prix Europa Award in the ‘Best European Radio Fiction’ category.