Pews at Ten: Gossip, Community, and a Sex Bomb in Britain’s Smallest City
In St Davids — Britain’s smallest city and one of Wales’ most quietly dramatic corners — three women sit on the front pew of the cathedral, ready to dissect the day’s happenings with forensic precision. They’re pillars of the community, guardians of local secrets, and connoisseurs of Welsh cakes and whispered scandal. And now, thanks to writer-performer Nia, their world is heading to stages across the UK, including the Edinburgh Fringe.
Pews at Ten is a comedy born from real-life observation: the kind of everyday conversations that feel mundane to outsiders but are treated with operatic seriousness by those who live them. As Nia told me, the play began as a drama school project, inspired by watching her gran and her friends gossip before choir services. “I found these women really, really interesting,” she said. “All the mundane things were very high stakes for them.”
The show follows Meryl, Dilys and Rona — three lifelong friends whose pre-service gossip ritual is disrupted by the arrival of David, a new English steward at the cathedral. His presence alone is enough to rattle their routine, but when news arrives of a “special visitor”, the women launch into a chaotic, high-stakes planning mission that spirals into delightful disorder.
Actor Matty, who plays Meryl, describes the characters as deeply familiar: “They relate to all of our grandparents… elements of my own nan are in my character.” The cast spent time in St Davids to absorb its sense of community — something that director Izzy has woven into the show’s pacing and comedic rhythm. “These women know each other so well they can preempt what the other’s going to say,” she explained. “The clipped language, the talking over each other — it’s all part of the comedy.”
The production now heads to London previews before its Edinburgh Fringe run, where it will perform at Dynamic Earth and Paradise Green. For Nia, bringing her writing to the Fringe is “a little bit daunting… but really exciting.”
Below is the edited interview — tightened for clarity, shaped for flow, and ready for publication. Listen in Full at the Bottom of the Page
Interview: Nia (Writer), Matty (Actor) & Izzy (Director)
Edited for clarity and length
Chris: Nia, tell us how Pews at Ten came about.
Nia: I wrote it about two years ago. It started as a drama school project where we were encouraged to write scripts. I wanted to write something from what I knew — my hometown, the people I loved. Growing up singing in St Davids Cathedral Choir, I’d watch my gran and her friends chatting before services. I always wondered what they were talking about. When I did get to join in, I found them fascinating. So I wrote a play about them. It naturally became a comedy because these women treat everyday details as very high stakes.
Chris: For people who don’t know the production, what’s the story?
Nia: It’s set in St Davids. Three women sit on a church pew having their usual gossip before the service. Then David — an Englishman and the new cathedral steward — interrupts them. They’re not thrilled. Then they hear a special visitor is coming, and they launch into a chaotic planning mission to make sure the arrival goes perfectly.
Chris: Matty, tell me about your character.
Matty: I play Meryl, one of the three mature ladies. They’ve been friends their whole lives. Even though we’re in our twenties playing older women, we wanted to honour that lifelong community. They’re inspired by real people, so we approached them with care. I’ve never met the women Nia based them on, but they remind me of my own nan. I’ve put elements of her into Meryl. We’ve also spent a lot of time in St Davids — it’s become a second home.
Chris: Izzy, how do you translate that curtain‑twitching, gossip‑driven energy onto the stage?
Izzy: From the first moment, it’s clear these women are on the same wavelength. One says, “They have a little support,” and immediately another asks, “Oh, have you heard?” and the other two go, “What?” Their gossiping is how they live. Directing the comedy has been about pacing and precision — clipped language, talking over each other, moving as one entity. Then David arrives and disrupts that rhythm. He’s the audience’s way in, especially for English audiences. Watching him try to break into their bubble has had a great response.
Chris: Where can people see the show?
Izzy: We have London previews next week:
22 July – Garden Theatre, Southend
23 July – Alfresco Arts Festival, Canary Wharf
26 July – The Hope Theatre (matinee & evening)
Then we head to the Edinburgh Fringe:
22 August – Dynamic Earth
24–29 August – Paradise Green (Studio)
Chris: And Nia, how does it feel taking your writing to the Fringe?
Nia: A little daunting, but exciting. We have so much fun performing together. We always leave the stage with big smiles. It feels like a big deal, but a joyful one.
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If you love Welsh humour, sharp character comedy, and the kind of gossip that could shake the rafters of a cathedral, Pews at Ten is absolutely one to catch at the Fringe.