What is the difference between National Theatre Wales and Welsh National Theatre? The answer is simple: Michael Sheen. After the beleaguered NTW had its Arts Council funding withdrawn and consequently closed down in 2024, Sheen, ever the proud patriot, determined that something had to be done – and that he was the man to do it. Fast forward to early 2026 and the new company, of which Sheen is the artistic director, takes to the stage in its inaugural production.
This is a remarkable story of one man’s belief and drive, all of which are amply on display in Our Town. Welsh National Theatre’s first show premiered in Swansea in January, toured to Llandudno and Mold and now takes up a month’s residence at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, where an appreciative first night audience included Sheen’s long-time buddy David Tennant.
Thornton Wilder’s classic 1938 drama, cited by Edward Albee as the “greatest American play ever written”, is a beautiful celebration of small-town community and “ordinary” lives, with a poignant emphasis on the fragility of happiness. WNT’s production, confidently directed by Swansea-born Francesca Goodridge, affords this story a gentle Welsh pointing with a large all-Welsh cast.
Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ is the inaugural production for Sheen’s Welsh National Theatre (Photo: Helen Murray)Sheen plays the central character, the Stage Manager, as a bearded and benevolent omniscient narrator who unfolds the tale for us and occasionally requests our opinion. He is the ebullient ringmaster who keeps events spinning – and it would be impossible to find a better metaphor than this for the socially conscious Sheen and his audacious new undertaking.
There must surely be magic in the soil of Port Talbot, south Wales, given that this proud town has nurtured some of the country’s greatest-ever acting talent: Sheen grew up there and before him there was Anthony Hopkins and Richard Burton. The line also extends forward and takes a turn for the female: Rosie Sheehy, by far the finest stage actress of her generation, is another native of the place.
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Sheen has poured a significant amount of his own money into the establishing of WNT and his extensive showbiz connections will be crucial in building a firm artistic and financial footing going forward. Russell T Davies of Doctor Who fame is on board as a “creative associate” and BBC Studios is involved in funding a Welsh talent scouting network that Sheen has also conjured into being.
Sheen will star in the company’s second production, scheduled for the Wales Millennium Centre this November, a new play by Gary Owen called Owain and Henry about Owain Glyndwr’s revolt against King Henry IV.
The danger for the wholly admirable WNT project is that for it to be viable, Sheen will be required to headline every production and that could prove tiring and burdensome for the star, who also has a television career to sustain. I am sure he has factored in this risk and the ambition must be to generate sufficient energy around these opening productions to propel the company forward using a wider network of Welsh talent.
I’d love to see a link-up between WNT and the Royal Shakespeare Company, whose co-artistic director Daniel Evans is another proud Welshman. I’m getting carried away now, but how about a production directed by Evans and starring Sheen and Sheehy that premieres in Wales, moves to Stratford-upon-Avon and then, well, who knows? Given that Welsh National Theatre’s motto is “From Wales to the world,” anything is possible.
‘Our Town’ is at the Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon Thames, until 28 March welshnationaltheatre.com
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