Michael Sheen Brings New Era to Welsh Theatre with National Company Launch

Welsh Actor Creates National Theatre Company

Actor Michael Sheen pledged to launch a new national theatre for Wales using his own money, announcing the birth of the Welsh National Theatre at the start of 2025, with himself as founding artistic director. The Hollywood actor wants to fill the gap left by the 2024 shutdown of the National Theatre Wales, forced to close after a 1.6 million pound funding cut. This bold move marks a significant moment in Welsh cultural history, as Sheen steps forward to preserve and promote Welsh theatrical heritage.

Inaugural Production Opens This Month

One year on, the company’s first major production opens this week with a cast of 19 and a creative team including Doctor Who supremo Russell T Davies. The inaugural play is Thornton Wilder’s 1938 American classic Our Town, set in the fictional Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, though it is thought to have inspired Dylan Thomas’s Welsh masterpiece Under Milk Wood. The production will be set in an intimate Welsh setting, with screen and stage star Michael Sheen as Stage Manager, directed by Francesca Goodridge, with award-winning screenwriter Russell T Davies as the creative associate.

The production opens at Swansea Grand Theatre in January 2026 before touring Wales and transferring to the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames, running at Swansea Grand Theatre from 16 to 31 January, before visiting Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Theatr Clwyd in Mold, and the Rose Theatre from 26 February to 28 March. It will be staged by an all-Welsh cast and creative team for the first time in its 87-year history.

Recognition and Future Vision

Acclaimed actor Michael Sheen launched his new theatre company, Welsh National Theatre, last year. His efforts have already gained recognition, with Sheen featured in The Stage’s The Stage 100 theatre power list for 2026. The venture demonstrates Sheen’s deep commitment to his Welsh roots and his determination to create world-class theatre from Wales. With ambitious plans and significant personal investment, Sheen aims to make the Welsh National Theatre a major cultural force, showcasing Welsh talent and stories to audiences both domestically and internationally.