Un o’r cyfeiriadau cynharaf at y Gymdeithas Ddramatig yn archifau’r coleg yw adolygiad o 1891 yng nghylchgrawn Coleg Dewi Sant, y St David’s College Magazine.
Mae’n amlwg bod y gymdeithas mewn bod cyn y dyddiad hwnnw, gan fod sôn am yr “Annual Dramatic Entertainment” a ddigwyddai ar ddiwedd tymor Mihangel. Ni ellir gorbwysleisio pwysigrwydd y Gymdeithas Ddramatig i fyfyrwyr a phobl tref Llambed, fel y tystia cefnogaeth yr Athrawon a’r darlithwyr, rhai ohonynt yn noddwyr, yn hyfforddi’r perfformwyr, yn adolygu’r cynyrchiadau ac weithiau’n ymuno â’r cast. Yn 1931 camodd yr Athro H. A. Harris i’r adwy ar y funud olaf ar gyfer y cynhyrchiad o The Rising Generation, gan ddysgu ei ran fawr mewn mater o oriau. Mae ef hefyd wedi’i restru yn aelod o’r cast ar gyfer y cynhyrchiad o Tons of Money yn 1928.
Roedd pobl Llambed yn darparu cynulleidfa frwdfrydig, roedd busnesau lleol yn cyflenwi’r goleuadau, effeithiau golygfaol ac eitemau ar gyfer lleoliadau llwyfan, ac roedd “Menywod Llambed” yn cyflenwi'r ffrogiau angenrheidiol yr oedd prinder ohonynt mewn coleg i ddynion yn unig.
Perfformiwyd y cynyrchiadau cynnar yn Neuadd yr Ysgol, ond daeth Neuadd Victoria yn y dref yn lleoliad rheolaidd, gan ddenu cynulleidfaoedd mawr yn ogystal ag adolygiadau yn y Western Mail a’r Carmarthen Journal. Er hynny, cwynodd un myfyriwr diamynedd fod yr amodau yn gysylltiedig â sicrhau bod y neuadd ar gael ar gyfer ymarfer gwisgoedd a pherfformiadau yn gwneud rheoli llwyfan yn hunllef.
Roedd y newid parhaus yn aelodau’r gymdeithas, wrth i fyfyrwyr raddio a gadael y Coleg, yn ffynhonnell rhwystredigaeth i’r cyfarwyddwyr, a orfodwyd yn aml i wrthod dramâu posibl oherwydd diffyg profiad y cast.
Ffarsiau, comedïau, dramâu cyffrous ysgafn ac ambell bantomeim llwyddiannus iawn oedd yr arlwy arferol.
Un o’r heriau mwyaf i’r cast o ddynion yn unig oedd y portread o’r cymeriadau benywaidd, fodd bynnag aeth nifer o fyfyrwyr i’r afael â’r rolau hyn yn llawn brwdfrydedd gan ennill canmoliaeth a beirniadaeth iddyn nhw’u hunain am eu dynwarediadau:
“The College has for some years been very fortunate in its ladies, and these two freshmen are worthy successors.”
“Save for an occasional uncertainty as to the use of his hands, and a stride somewhat beyond the average of woman kind, he carried off his fictitious sex uncommonly well.”
“…regretting that a more feminine method of alighting on a seat had not been cultivated, instead of the abrupt collapse which was sometime apparent.”
“The fainting was abundant and was very fairly done. Of course it was wanting in artistic finish.”
Roedd aelodau’r Gymdeithas yn eithriadol o ymroddgar, gan neilltuo oriau o’u hamser ar bob cynhyrchiad.
Yn ystod wythnos gyntaf y tymor dewisid yr actorion a’r ddrama, ac wedi hynny cynhelid ymarferion yn ddyddiol ac weithiau ddwywaith y dydd am weddill y tymor. Roedd yn rhaid dylunio setiau llwyfan, goleuadau a gwisgoedd a chynhyrchu rhaglenni. Roedd nifer o aelodau’r Gymdeithas Ddramatig yn gysylltiedig â chymdeithasau eraill, er enghraifft roedd H.C. Townsend yn Uwch Ysgrifennydd y Gymdeithas Ddramatig; fe’i enwebwyd yn Uwch Ysgolhaig yn 1896; roedd yn Is-Gapten y tîm criced a hefyd bu’n gwasanaethu ar bwyllgor diwrnod chwaraeon blynyddol 1897 ac yn aelod o bwyllgor y myfyrwyr. Eglurodd cynhyrchydd y ddrama It Pays to Advertise a berfformiwyd yn 1930 fod y perfformwyr yn ei chael yn fraint ac yn ddyletswydd i dynnu ein pwysau ym mywyd cymdeithasol y Coleg.
Darn o’r adolygiad o The Magistrate yn y St. David’s College Magazine, 1895:
“The annual play of the College Dramatic Society is one of those features of the year in Lampeter which are bound to cause a temporary depression in the patent medicine trade. It is a good deal pleasanter to take than the regulation dose of tonic at bed-time, and it probably does one quite as much good.”
Darn o’r adolygiad o The Solicitor yn y St. David’s College Magazine, 1897:
“The decision of the Dramatic Committee, after some hesitation, to play “The Solicitor” was quite justified by the result. For some time the unusual slowness of the actors in learning their parts, their want of life, and the ragged rehearsals gave but little promise of a successful performance; but Mr Battiscombe’s patient and persistent drilling had its desired effect. The play was a complete success, and apparently went off without a hitch…”
Cyfrannai’r Gymdeithas Ddramatig mewn ffyrdd eraill hefyd. Yn sgil dechrau’r Ail Ryfel Byd, ofnwyd na fyddai perfformiad, fodd bynnag rhoddwyd caniatâd i berfformio tair drama un act, gydag unrhyw elw’n cael ei roi i elusennau rhyfel.
Darn o’r adolygiad o The Terror, o The Western Mail, a gyhoeddwyd yn y St. David’s College Magazine, 1948:
“This first post-war production of the St. David’s College Dramatic Society received the enthusiastic reception that it certainly deserved. It showed quite clearly that the Society has at its command enough dramatic talent and technical skill to go on confidently to greater success… It has a long and admirable tradition of such productions, and there is an assured audience, both of townspeople and of students, for the many well-written plays which can so rarely be seen on the professional stage. There is no reason why the Society should not proceed, from this successful beginning, to heights worthy both of the past and of the future of the College.”
Y Pantomeim
Yn 1954 cynhaliwyd perfformiad matinee arbennig o’r cynhyrchiad Pantomania ar gyfer plant ysgolion cynradd Llambed gyda pherfformiad gyda’r nos ar gyfer y cyhoedd.
Roedd y theatr yn llawn ar gyfer y ddau berfformiad a chodwyd elw net o £40, gyda £12 yn cael ei roi i Grŵp Toc H Llambed, a’r gweddill i’r Sunshine Home for Blind Babies ym Morgannwg.
Adolygiad o Pantomania yn y St. David’s College Magazine, 1954:
“…the appearance of “Foxhuntress”, the wonder horse and favourite hunter (or should it be huntress?) of the Ugly Sisters and their doting father the Baron. One horse between three, but what a horse! Made in the Canterbury Building by Harry Bevan and his fellow-craftsmen, and given animation around the auditorium and on the stage by Harry Bevan and Alan Hughes... Foxhuntress provided the most striking single item of the show. They say that her head is still preserved among the Canterbury Building antiquities.”
Ysgrifennwyd gan Margaret Davies, 9 oed, Ysgol Gynradd Pencarreg, 12 Chwefror 1954, a’i gyhoeddi yn y St. David’s Magazine, 1954:
“We went last Wednesday to the Pantomime in the Victoria hall Lampeter we went by Taxi about half past one The Pantomime finished about four o clock. Cinderella was working hard and her two sisters enjoying themselves. The name of the two sisters was Tulip and Heather. We were home about half past four. The fairy Godmother came in to the hall in a very bad temper. The Pantomime was very good. The prince was very pretty and Cinderella was too. The prince loved Cinderella. She danced with him. At the end of the Ball she lost her shoe. Dandini fitted the shoe on Cinderella foot. The prince did not do any fuss with the ugly sisters. He married Cinderella at last. The singing was very good.”
Edrychid ymlaen yn eiddgar at berfformiadau’r Gymdeithas Ddramatig, ac eto disgwylid safon uchel a gallai’r beirniaid fod yn llym:
“The Shop at Sly Corner, is a very poor play. In character, plot and dialogue alike it is a hotch-potch of worn-out fragments from the theatrical ragbag...”
“the inaudibility of the performers, the audibility of the prompter, and a lighted reading-lamp downstage which disastrously masked the leading character whenever he was seated at his desk – as he was for much of the play.”
Fodd bynnag, roedd beirniadaeth o’r fath yn brin a thalentau ac ymroddiad y Gymdeithas Ddramatig yn cael eu cydnabod yn llawn:
“This entertainment has been a complete success from every point of view; the evident satisfaction of a large audience leaves no doubt about that. All those who have worked so hard for the success of the show, both on the stage and behind it, can feel that their efforts have been fully appreciated.”