Sunburnt, Overstimulated & Full of Culture: Pain in the Arts Takes on Hay Festival and the Week That Wouldn’t End
If there’s one thing the Welsh arts sector does well, it’s intensity — and this week’s episode of Pain in the Arts captures that beautifully chaotic energy. Recorded from the car somewhere between Hay‑on‑Wye and home, broadcaster Chris J Birch and artist‑writer‑editor Jak Rhys Birch deliver a sun‑soaked, overstimulated, caffeine‑fueled roundup of what might be their busiest cultural week of 2026 so far.
From Dawn French to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from ballet dreams to festival ambitions, Episode 18 is a love letter to Welsh creativity — and a gentle cry for snacks.
Hay Festival: A Week of Literary Heavyweights and Mild Sunburn
The episode opens with the pair reflecting on their multi‑day pilgrimage to Hay Festival, Wales’ internationally renowned celebration of books, ideas and people who own more linen shirts than is strictly necessary.
Chris’ highlights included:
Dawn French in conversation with Richard Coles — warm, sharp, and effortlessly funny.
A Writers Room session with Francis Bickmore of Canongate, offering rare insight into the publishing world.
Jak’s picks were equally star‑studded:
Hugh Bonneville, bringing charm and gravitas.
Danny Robins, whose blend of storytelling and supernatural intrigue always lands.
And on the final day, the pair split up again:
Chris saw Ian Hislop, Adrian Edmondson and Ben Elton — a trio of British satire royalty.
Jak saw Prue Leith and Alan Davies, both delivering thoughtful, generous conversations.
By the time they hit record in the car, both were slightly sunburnt, slightly dehydrated, and slightly delirious — the perfect recipe for a Pain in the Arts episode.
Cabaret Cardiff: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Takes the Stage
Sunday night brought a sharp tonal shift: Buffy the Vampire Slayer at Cabaret Cardiff.
Camp, chaotic and full of nostalgia, the show proved once again why Cabaret has become one of Cardiff’s most eclectic and consistently surprising creative spaces. From jazz to burlesque to drag to Buffy — the venue continues to champion the kind of grassroots performance that keeps a city’s cultural heart beating.
Sunny Afternoons at the Wales Millennium Centre
Tuesday saw the opening of Sunny Afternoons at the Wales Millennium Centre — a mid‑week musical that brought warmth, wit and a welcome dose of escapism.
The WMC continues to excel at programming work that appeals to a broad demographic, and this production was no exception.
The Most British Bank Holiday Ever
Somewhere between the chaos of Hay and the glamour of Cabaret, the pair squeezed in a bank holiday that can only be described as aggressively British:
Garden centre
Wandering around the garden
Tea
More tea
Existential dread (implied)
It’s the kind of quiet domesticity that makes the rest of the week’s cultural overload feel even more surreal.
Q&A: AI Art, Digital Creators & Festival Dreams
This week’s listener questions were particularly strong — and particularly relevant to the current creative landscape.
1. How do digital artists differentiate themselves from AI?
Dawn’s question taps into a growing anxiety across the creative industries. Chris and Jak offer practical, reassuring advice:
Share process videos
Show layers, drafts and time‑lapses
Highlight signature quirks
Use watermarked process sheets
Lean into intention and humanity
Their message is clear: Buyers value human creation — show them the human.
2. Does Wales need more festivals like Hay? And how do you start one?
Isabelle’s question sparks a thoughtful discussion about cultural tourism, rural regeneration and the power of niche programming.
Hay works because of:
Longevity
Community buy‑in
Strong partnerships
Clear identity
If you want to start your own festival — especially one centred on singing or ballet — the advice is simple:
Start small
Define your niche
Find partners
Secure a venue
Pilot before you scale
Every major festival began with a borrowed marquee and a handful of people who believed in it.
The Week Ahead: No Rest for the Creatively Wicked
Despite the chaos of the past eight days, the upcoming week is somehow just as full:
The Enormous Crocodile at the New Theatre
Feast On Festival
A return trip to Hay Festival
Waitress at the Wales Millennium Centre
Rocky Horror at the New Theatre
If burnout were an art form, Chris and Jak would be shortlisted for the Turner Prize.
A Podcast That Captures the Pulse of Welsh Arts
Episode 18 of Pain in the Arts is everything the podcast does best:
Warm, funny, slightly chaotic conversation
Genuine insight into Wales’ creative industries
Practical advice for artists
Celebration of grassroots culture
A sense of community and shared experience
Recorded from the car, fuelled by sun, snacks and sheer determination, this episode is a testament to the vibrancy — and occasional absurdity — of Welsh arts.
If you want to understand the creative heartbeat of Wales, Pain in the Arts remains essential listening.