In a bold response to a deepening crisis in Welsh arts, acclaimed actor Michael Sheen has personally financed and launched a new national theatre company. The venture, named Welsh National Theatre, opens this month with a major touring production of Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town, starring Sheen himself.
A Theatrical Emergency
The creation of the company comes directly after the effective collapse of the former National Theatre Wales, which had its funding entirely withdrawn by Arts Council Wales. Sheen describes the situation as an emergency, stating he felt compelled to act to prevent the permanent loss of a national English-language theatre for Wales. "It was such a tortuous journey to get a national theatre in Wales in the first place," Sheen explained. "It felt like a window of opportunity and once that window closed, it would be much harder to get that momentum going again."
The backdrop is one of severe strain. A recent cross-party report found that Wales spends less on culture than almost every other European nation. Alongside the demise of National Theatre Wales, institutions like Welsh National Opera, Theatr Clwyd and Theatr Na nÓg have faced significant cuts.
Our Town: A Welsh Heart in an American Classic
The inaugural production, directed by Francesca Goodridge of Cardiff's Sherman Theatre, transposes the essence of Wilder's fictional Grover's Corners to a Welsh context. With a cast of 18 Welsh actors, a rarity in itself, the play explores universal themes of community and the extraordinary within the mundane.
"I think it's perfect for a Welsh accent," says Sheen of the play's language, "because the language is quite lyrical, quite sing-songy." Creative associate Russell T Davies has worked with the Wilder estate to gently ease the production "into a bit more of a Welsh idiom," likening the community to a Welsh community in America, akin to those in Patagonia. A key adaptation has been translating the hymns, harnessing the power of a Welsh choir.
The production is a co-production with the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London, and will tour to Swansea Grand Theatre (until 31 Jan), Venue Cymru in Llandudno (3-7 Feb), Theatr Clwyd in Mold (11-21 Feb), before finishing at the Rose (26 Feb - 28 Mar).
Building a New Future for Welsh Talent
Sheen's vision for Welsh National Theatre is to create large-scale platforms for Welsh talent and expand the national canon. "One of the challenges we have in Wales is for Welsh directors to work on main stages," Sheen notes. "They're working in studio spaces and the knock-on effect is that writers write plays for smaller casts. That limits the sort of stories we're telling."
The opening season will continue with Owain & Henry, a new play by Gary Owen starring Sheen as Owain Glyndŵr, and Playing Burton led by Matthew Rhys. The company is funded by Sheen's own investment, support from the Colwinston Charitable Trust, and partnerships with BBC Studios and Bad Wolf. Sheen is clear about avoiding over-reliance on one funding source, stating, "I'm still underwriting stuff. That's the way we'll keep moving forwards."
For Davies, who recalls being told in the 1990s to remove Welsh characters from his writing, this venture is profoundly significant. "It takes someone who's not quiet, like Michael, to lead the way," he said. The hope is that the new theatre will build "talent and belief and possibility" for future generations, proving that Wales can once again tell its big stories on the biggest stages.
