Michael Sheen launched the Welsh National Theatre in January 2025 with productions ready to debut next year
After launching the Welsh National Theatre in January this year, Michael Sheen has teamed up with huge Welsh TV studio, Bad Wolf to bring theatre to the people of Wales.
The production company behind Doctor Who, His Dark Materials and Industry filmed in Wales have announced that they are the first private sector investor to partner with the new theatre company. The Cardiff-based company’s investment will help fund the next generation of writing talent for stage and screen across the country.
Sheen, the Port Talbot-raised actor, put his own money into launching the Welsh National Theatre after the closure of National Theatre Wales in December 2024 after funding cuts. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
Launching the company, the NYE actor said: “This is a new dawn for theatre in Wales.
“We’ll be a home for our greatest talent, bringing them together to create ambitious theatre which makes our national story come alive. That’s what national theatres should do. Wales has such a rich storytelling history but our stories are underexplored in the English language, both at home and internationally.”
The company’s debut productions start in January 2026 with the first being Our Town that will star Sheen.
Sheen will then play Owain Glyndŵr in Gary Owen’s epic new play, Owain & Henry, in a Welsh National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre co-production in November 2026.
Partnering with the Welsh National Theatre, the investment from Bad Wolf will offer funding to commission writers and theatre makers to develop Welsh stories.
Jane Tranter, CEO, Bad Wolf, said: “The ambition and scale of the Welsh National Theatre is testament to Michael Sheen’s vision and commitment to the Arts.
A strong creative community in Wales benefits all of us and in the ten years since the birth of Bad Wolf we have seen the Creative Industries grow and flourish despite challenging times. We are proud to support such a bold and exciting venture.”
Michael Sheen, artistic director of Welsh National Theatre, said: “Just a few months into being, we’ve announced our first large-scale productions- Our Town and Owain & Henry- made our home in Swansea and taken the first steps to establishing our talent development pathways with this new partnership.
Bad Wolf has proven stories and talent from Wales can enthral the world; that’s what we’re aiming to do with Welsh National Theatre.”