Michael Sheen Reveals Debut Season for Welsh National Theatre with OWAIN & HENRY and OUR TOWN

Welsh National Theatre has unveiled its debut season, first appointments, and creative pathways, following the establishment of the company in January by the actor Michael Sheen. 

At the start of 2025, artistic director Sheen shared a vision to create world-class work from Wales and take it to the world, bringing together Welsh talent to create ambitious theatre that makes the country’s story come alive. That vision was realised with the reveal of the company’s first two productions: Owain & Henry is an epic new play by Gary Owen, his blank verse breathing life into the 15th century rebellion against the English crown by the outlaw Owain Glyndŵr.  Michael Sheen will play the last Welsh-born Prince of Wales, clashing with King Henry IV in a battle which could lead to freedom for Wales and the end of England.

A Welsh National Theatre co-production with Wales Millennium Centre, Owain & Henry will run in its Donald Gordon Theatre - the second largest stage in Europe-in November 2026, with Pádraig Cusack as executive producer. Tickets will go on sale on 4 August 2025 for WMC Members and 8 August 2025 to the general public. 

Earlier in 2026, Welsh National Theatre, in a co-production with the Rose Theatre, will present Our Town, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, fitting an intimate Welsh setting perfectly. Michael Sheen will take on the leading role of Stage Manager, with Swansea-born Francesca Goodridge directing, Russell T Davies as the creative associate and Pádraig Cusack as executive producer.

The production will play the Swansea Grand Theatre (Friday 16 January-Saturday 31 January 2026), Venue Cymru in Llandudno (Tuesday 3 February-Saturday 7 February 2026), Theatr Clwyd in Mold (Wednesday 11 February-Saturday 21 February 2026) and the Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames (Thursday 26 February-28 March 2026). Tickets for the Rose Theatre will go on sale today, with all three Welsh venues on sale later this month. 

Sharon Gilburd is the Welsh National Theatre’s founding Chief Executive Officer.  Sharon brings a wealth of experience from working internationally early in her career for the United Nations agencies and the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, later founding a digital marketing agency and consulting with organisations including HBOS, Visa and Barclaycard. She was co-chair of National Theatre Wales’ board of trustees, and advisor to, and past student of, the London Film Academy.  She is the chair of the Centre for Digital Public Services, a ministerial appointment reporting to Cabinet Secretary for Economy.  Sharon has been integral in the formation of the new company alongside Michael Sheen. 

Tim Price is the Welsh National Theatre’s founding Literary Manager. Tim is the acclaimed stage and screen writer ofNye (National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre), Protest Song (National Theatre), The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning (National Theatre Wales) and much more. Like Sharon, Tim has been integral to founding the Welsh National Theatre alongside Michael Sheen.

Welsh National Theatre is commissioning new plays from Azuka Oforka, Sian Owen, Rhys Warrington and Emily White- four of the most exciting voices in Welsh theatre today.  All four writers are already hard at work, creating the next large-scale plays of national significance for future seasons of the theatre. 

The ambition of the Welsh Net is to build a network of talent scouts across Wales. Casting their eyes across Wales, the scouts will watch youth, amateur and professional theatre, performances and shows, with a view to identifying and developing talent. Viv Buckley is the first scout.

Where the Welsh Not stifled Welsh expression, the ambition of the Welsh Net is to be its champion. The Welsh Net aims to create pathways that have vanished, or never existed to help talented theatre makers across Wales overcome barriers they face in the industry.