Lorna Prichard
BBC Wales Tradition Correspondent
BBC
Michael Sheen will big name as Owain Glyndŵr in probably the most first productions from his new theatre corporate, Welsh Nationwide Theatre
Actor Michael Sheen has mentioned he’s going to big name as Owain Glyndŵr, the remaining Welsh-born Prince of Wales, in a brand new theatre manufacturing.
Owain & Henry will inform the tale of Glyndŵr’s rebel towards English rule in Wales all over the fifteenth Century, in probably the most first productions introduced by means of Welsh Nationwide Theatre, Sheen’s personal theatre corporate.
Glyndŵr turned into a figurehead for Welsh nationalism and there are statues, monuments, pub and boulevard names throughout Wales commemorating him.
Sheen, who prior to now mentioned the Royal circle of relatives must surrender the Prince of Wales name, mentioned as Glyndŵr he would painting “the enduring Welsh prince”.
“Owain & Henry is likely one of the foundation tales of our country, as related in as of late’s advanced international because it was once when Glyndŵr declared Wales an impartial country 600 years in the past,” mentioned Sheen, who’s from Port Talbot in south Wales.
The play will probably be carried out at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff in November 2026, who’re co-producing.
Sheen, who as an actor is very best recognized for remodeling into characters together with Prince Andrew, David Frost and Tony Blair, mentioned he was once “extremely excited”.
“It is the play that tells the precise tale that I would like this nationwide theatre corporate in an effort to inform, on the second one greatest degree in Europe,” Sheen informed BBC Information.
Who was once Owain Glyndŵr?
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Owain Glyndŵr was once born in 1359
Owain Glyndŵr instigated a 15-year insurrection towards the rule of thumb of King Henry IV and claimed the name Prince of Wales, ahead of Wales was once reconquered by means of the English.
Greater than 100 years previous, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd – the remaining prince of an impartial Wales – have been killed in combat and his head despatched to Edward I, the English king.
Edward I then invested his son Edward II because the Prince of Wales, and because then the name has typically – regardless that now not all the time – been given to the inheritor obvious.
In 2020, Sheen informed newspaper columnist Owen Jones that once the time got here for the Prince of Wales name to be passed down from Charles to William, “it will be a truly significant and strong gesture for that name to now not be held in the similar method because it has ahead of”.
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When King Charles bestowed the Prince of Wales name upon Prince William in 2022, hundreds signed a petition calling for it to be scrapped
Owain & Henry is assumed to be the primary time the tale of Glyndŵr has been tackled by means of a dramatist for a largscale manufacturing, with the prince as the primary persona.
The play’s author, Gary Owen, mentioned when he started to put in writing the tale Sheen was once his “dream casting” – however he had by no means imagined it turning into a fact.
“I have been pronouncing for years that we wish to do those large displays right here in Wales. We wish to connect to a large target audience,” mentioned Owen.
“And now I’ve to in truth do it. So it is some power however it is very welcome power.”
Sheen mentioned he have been a “massive fan” of Owen’s paintings for years, calling him “probably the most biggest writers Wales has ever produced”.
“There will be individuals who come alongside to this who’ve by no means heard of Owain Glyndŵr ahead of, do not know what the historical past is, the significance of that second in our tradition.
“And it begins a dialog, you recognize, it begins a countrywide dialog.”
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Sheen lately portrayed Prince Andrew within the TV drama A Very Royal Scandal
Sheen introduced that he was once investment the Welsh Nationwide Theatre in January, to fill the space left by means of the folding of Nationwide Theatre Wales.
The corporate, which has won £200,000 in transition investment from Arts Council Wales, has additionally introduced a Welsh spin at the vintage American play Our The town, with Physician Who author Russell T Davies as an inventive affiliate.
Our The town, co-produced with the Rose Theatre in Kingston-upon-Thames, will excursion Swansea, Mildew, Llandudno and Kingston-upon-Thames between January and March 2026.
Welsh Nationwide Theatre mentioned it had additionally commissioned 4 Welsh writers to create performs of “nationwide importance”, and created a community of skill scouts to search out and increase new Welsh skill.
“After I used to play soccer on a pitch by means of the facet of the A48 in Port Talbot, I all the time knew that there was once the likelihood that there may well be any person status at the contact line,” mentioned Sheen.
“Native individuals who had been the eyes and ears of the massive golf equipment. There was once all the time the prospective it’s essential to finally end up at Guy United or Liverpool.
“And I have all the time concept, why is not there a an identical device for the humanities, for the theatre? So I am looking to create that and the usage of the Welsh Nationwide Theatre corporate as the type of engine for that.”
Sheen won a letter of toughen addressing him as a “sensible actor”
Sheen mentioned “a lot of people had been getting into contact” to toughen Welsh Nationwide Theatre because it was once introduced – together with fellow Hollywood Welsh-born actor Matthew Rhys.
“I had a ravishing message from Matthew,” mentioned Sheen.
He mentioned other people had additionally proven toughen in alternative ways, together with via a wonder donation despatched to his oldsters.
“The envelope simply mentioned ‘sensible actor Michael Sheen’. And it were given to my oldsters. And within it mentioned ‘what you might be doing with the Welsh Nationwide Theatre – suppose it is sensible. Would really like to toughen it’.
“And I stay [the cheque] in my pocket,” mentioned Sheen.
“I stroll round with it now.”
