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GWENNAN

Gwennan Sage is a highly respected and experienced Welsh and English language freelance drama director, with credits covering many notable British network television drama series and films. Her trademark is an extraordinary attention to detail and exceptional sensitivity to performance, which has earned her the reputation for capturing her audience by always “Telling the Story”.

Below is a brief synopsis of her working life.

Go to the Credits & Awards section for greater detail, and to Showreels for examples of her work.

ACHIEVEMENTS

After a highly successful career as a staff Producer / Director at the BBC, where she regularly wrote her own scripts, gathering mostly Welsh and some English language drama and mixed programme credits to her name, (including Talwrn y Beirdd and Sioe Siarad), Gwennan left BBC Wales in January 1988 to pursue her love of writing and directing drama. She very soon found herself busily employed as a drama director, working in Welsh for S4C, and winning Celtic Film Festival Awards for Drama two seasons in succession. When faced with a quiet period in Wales, she took the advice of the then commissioning editor for drama at S4C, going to work firstly on Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC) drama output, then making her freelance début in English network drama in 1991, with the BBC series Byker Grove, quickly followed by EastEnders.

Over the years Gwennan has been a regular director on flagship series for BBC1 and ITV1, with multiple credits on EastEndersThe Bill, and Casualty. Her directing style is governed by each new script, ranging from sumptuous costume drama in The House of Eliott, or the nostalgia and humour of Heartbeat, to the uniquely styled action adventure of Bugs, and the haunting beauty of the World War II murder mystery film, Ruth Rendell’s “The Orchard Walls”.

Whether working to fast turnaround multi-camera studio requirements, or imaginatively utilising the additional time and space a single camera filming schedule provides, telling the story using her considerable technical, and artistic performance related directing skills, is a consistent feature of Gwennan’s work. 

Asked by one viewer “What do you do then?” she replied, “I try to make sure you’re so thoroughly immersed in the story you’re watching, that you do not notice I have done anything at all”.

Gwennan added Dalziel & Pascoe, Rosemary & Thyme and Teulu to her list of film drama directing credits, before returning to EastEnders in 2008, working as energetically as ever on fast turnaround multi-camera studio drama.

In recent years, it has been a source of great pleasure and pride to Gwennan to have been able to return to her roots at BBC Wales (now BBC Studios), working tirelessly again on the series she first directed as a staff Producer / Director in 1982, the outstanding and iconic Pobol y Cwm.

BACKGROUND

Gwennan graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor, with an honours degree in Welsh, followed by a Master’s degree in Drama.

She joined the BBC in 1979, as a young and enthusiastic Radio Cymru Producer. After creating and producing an entire mid-morning schedule of innovative new programmes in Welsh, she moved into producing radio drama, and from there quickly into television.

Gwennan formally trained as a television director on the BBC Television Directors’ Course in 1982.

GWENNAN

Mae Gwennan Sage yn gyfarwyddwr drama llawrydd hynod brofiadol, nodedig am y parch sydd tuag ati yn y diwydiant yng Nghymru a Lloegr, â chredydau ar draws nifer o gyfresi a ffilmiau drama safonol ar rwydwaith teledu Prydain. Trwy ei gofal di-ildio dros bob manylyn o’i gwaith, a’i sensitifrwydd eithriadol tuag at berfformiad, mae Gwennan wedi ennill ei lle fel cyfarwyddwr sy’n ymfudo’i chynulleidfa i mewn i bob stori a ddaw o dan ei llaw.

Gweler isod synopsis byr o’i bywyd proffesiynol.

Ewch i Credydau a Gwobrwyau am fwy o fanylion, ac i Rîl Sioeau am enghreifftiau o’i gwaith.

TAITH EI GWAITH

Wedi gyrfa hynod lwyddiannus yn gynhyrchydd / cyfarwyddwr staff gyda’r BBC, yn aml yn ysgrifennu ei sgriptiau ei hunan ac yn casglu rhestr swmpus o gredydau drama a rhaglenni cymysg fel Talwrn y Beirdd, Yr Awr Fawr, Sioe Siarad a Lan Lofft, gadawodd Gwennan ei swydd yn Ionawr 1988 i ddilyn ei chariad tuag at gyfarwyddo ac ysgrifennu drama. Cyn pen dim, ‘roedd hi’n gweithio’n ddi-baid fel cyfarwyddwr drama llawrydd i S4C, ac wedi ennill gwobr y Prix de Prix a gwobr y Ddrama Ieuenctid orau mewn dwy Ŵyl Ffilm Geltaidd yn olynol. Pan aeth pethau’n dawel yn y Gymraeg, dilynodd Gwennan gyngor comisiynydd drama S4C ar y pryd, a mynd i weithio mewn drama, yn gyntaf i Gorfforaeth Sain a Golwg y Gwasanaethau Milwrol, ac yn fuan wedyn, i’r BBC ar ddrama ieuenctid Byker Grove, ac yn syth wedyn ar EastEnders.

Dros y blynyddoedd, mae Gwennan wedi bod yn gyfarwyddwr selog ar gyfresi blaenllaw i BBC1 ac ITV1, â chredydau niferus ar EastEnders, The Bill Casualty. Tra’n gyson ei chrefft, mae ei harddull fel cyfarwyddwr yn dibynnu ar ofynion pob sgript a phob cyfres newydd a ddaw i’w llaw. O ddrama gwisgoedd moethus The House of Eliott, i nostalgia a hiwmor Heartbeat, ac o antur ffrwydrol unigryw Bugs i harddwch swynol y ddrama ddirgel Ail Ryfel Byd gan Ruth Rendell, The Orchard Walls, bydd ôl gofal Gwennan yr un peth.

P’un ai yw hi’n gweithio i ofynion chwim-droadol y stiwdio sawl-camera, neu â’r modd i gymryd mantais o’r rhyddid ychwanegol i ddefnyddio’i sgiliau technegol ac artistig sylweddol ar amserlen ehangach ffilm, ei nôd yw mynegi’r stori ym mhob ffrâm o’i gwaith. Pan holodd gwyliwr hi unwaith, “Beth yn gwmws ych chi’n neud?” ateb Gwennan oedd, “Ceisio sicrhau eich bod chi wedi’ch ymgolli gymaint yn y stori r’ych chi’n ei wylio, fel nad y’ch chi’n sylwi mod i wedi gwneud unrhywbeth o gwbwl.”

Wedi ychwanegu Dalziel & Pascoe, Rosemary & Thyme Teulu i’w rhestr credydau drama ar ffilm, dychwelodd Gwennan i’r stiwdio ddrama chwim-droadol yn 2008, i weithio’n gyson eto ar EastEnders.

Yn fwy diweddar, pleser pur i Gwennan yw bod wedi gallu dychwelyd eto i weithio’n ddi-flino ar y  sioe y bu’n ei chyfarwyddo gyntaf i BBC Cymru ym 1982, sef cyfres ardderchog, iconig Pobol y Cwm.    

CEFNDIR 

Graddiodd Gwennan ag anrhydedd yn y Gymraeg o Goleg Prifysgol Bangor, ac wedyn enillodd radd MA mewn Drama.

Ymunodd â’r BBC ym 1979, yn gynhyrchydd ifanc brwdfrydig ar Radio Cymru. Ar ôl creu a chynhyrchu amserlen arloesol gyfan o raglenni newydd sbon ar gyfer gwasaneth newydd “canol y bore” Radio Cymru, symudodd yn gyflym iawn i fyd teledu. 

Fe’i hyfforddwyd fel cyfarwyddwr teledu ym 1982, ar gwrs Cyfarwyddwyr Teledu y BBC.