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In Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre (WMC), a crowd of 180 gathered one spring morning in the Awen bar. The draw was a discussion about the future of Welsh theatre, prompted by the recent hit play Nye, staged in the WMC's Donald Gordon theatre. Nye, a play about NHS founder Aneurin Bevan, inspired its lead actor, Michael Sheen, to establish the Welsh National Theatre (WNT). Sheen, in a check shirt, addressed the crowd on a makeshift stage, stating his familiarity with unconventional venues, having performed in places like the Aberavon shopping centre.
Sheen's initiative follows a challenging period for English-language theatre in Wales. In December, National Theatre Wales (NTW), a separate organization founded in 2009, ceased operations due to the loss of Arts Council funding. January saw the release of a Welsh Senedd report, A Decade of Cuts, which highlighted Wales' low ranking in European cultural spending, only surpassing Greece at £69 per person. The UK, Ireland, and Iceland received £91, £149, and £691 respectively.
Creu Cymru, representing performing-arts organizations across Wales, released a sector snapshot, emphasizing the devaluation of arts and culture through funding cuts and a lack of public and political advocacy. The Arts Council of Wales has since announced an additional £4.4 million for arts and culture, but venue closures and redundancies remain a concern.
Sheen, a figure widely admired in Wales, announced the WNT's program, including a touring co-production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Owain & Henry, a WMC-staged play about Owain Glyndŵr’s battles with Henry IV. The question remains whether Sheen's efforts will support or overshadow other theatre-makers in Wales, and address concerns within the industry.
English language theatre in Wales extends beyond Cardiff, with venues like the Sherman theatre, The Other Room, and companies such as Hijinx, Taking Flight and Theatr Iolo. The south Wales valleys are home to the RCT Theatres, while western Wales features Milford Haven’s Torch Theatre, Theatr na nÓg in Neath, and the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
In North Wales, there's Pontio in Bangor, and Theatr Clwyd in Mold, reopening after a £50 million capital development project. Recent successes include Laura Wade’s Home, I’m Darling and The Mold Riots.
Theatr Clwyd’s opening season under artistic director Kate Wasserberg includes a musical, a community-created play, and a debut by Welsh writer Chris Ashworth-Bennion. Sheen and Wasserberg have discussed potential collaborations.
According to an Arts Council of Wales report, collaborative projects like Craidd and Open Book are already thriving. Team, NTW’s community-focused project, continues independently. NTW had successes, including 2011’s The Passion, starring Sheen.
At the WNT launch, Sheen announced £200,000 in transition funding from the Arts Council of Wales, stemming from the closure of NTW. Council chair Maggie Russell described the WNT as a bold initiative. Sheen aims to diversify funding sources and collaborate with other organizations.
Sheen introduced members of his new company, including Nye writer Tim Price and Russell T Davies, who directed Sheen in a production of David Copperfield at the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre in 1987.
The WNT has commissioned four new plays from emerging writers, including Francesca Goodridge and Azuka Oforka. Oforka's play, The Women of Llanrumney, has received positive reviews at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Gary Owen, playwright of Owain & Henry, discussed the limited opportunities for Welsh stories on a large scale. He noted the prevalence of Welsh monodramas due to budget constraints and the need for a "Braveheart for Wales."
Sheen addressed concerns that the WNT might be perceived as a vanity project, emphasizing the use of his profile to attract attention and establish co-productions. He cited his youth theatre experience and a desire to provide opportunities for others, connecting Wales geographically and supporting existing Welsh-language theatre.
A theatre professional, who wished to remain anonymous, noted the absence of WNT representatives at Creu Cymru's annual conference, which began shortly after the WNT launch. The individual expressed concern about a lack of awareness regarding existing mentoring and development efforts in Wales. They also worried that the WNT's national status and fundraising efforts, led by a Hollywood star, could pose a challenge to other organizations.
The professional suggested that calling the theatre the "Michael Sheen Theatre" might have mitigated some concerns. Sheen's role as a national figure will be closely observed by the Welsh theatre community.
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