Steffan Donnelly's First Season At Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Announced

Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (the Welsh-language National Theatre Company, also known as Theatr Gen) is thrilled to announce a new season of productions and projects up to spring 2024, including 8 shows, with 3 of them touring nationally. This is the company's first season under the leadership of new Artistic Director Steffan Donnelly, and it's packed with amazing artists celebrating the Welsh language and telling fresh and important stories about contemporary society.

The season kicks off with an exciting programme of performances at the Llŷn and Eifionydd National Eisteddfod. Theatr Gen will be presenting and supporting 5 productions in various locations across the Maes. Caffi Maes B will be the stage for Parti Priodas - a brand new comedy from playwright and poet Gruffudd Owen about two people trying to survive someone else's big day. Directed by Steffan Donnelly, this is a belter of a comedy full of hymns, tensions and dancing on tables.

The company will also be getting in the spirit of the festival with a puppet show for families - Yr Hogyn Pren. With a bespoke puppet created by Small World Theatre, artists Owain Gwynn, Elidir Jones and Melangell Dolma will come together to present this magical adventure. Theatr Gen is also delighted to be working with the winner of the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2022 Prose Medal, Sioned Erin Hughes, to present stage adaptations of two heartfelt monologues from her collection of short stories, Rhyngom. There will be an opportunity to enjoy this work, directed by Iola Ynyr at the Babell Lên, with Esyllt Maelor chairing a Q&A with the author following the performance.

At the Cwt Cabaret, Theatr Gen and Theatr Clwyd will join forces on Rwan Nawr, bringing the freshest Welsh writing to the Maes directed by Rhian Blythe and Daniel Lloyd. In the form of a living newspaper, 5 playwrights - Hannah Daniel, Mali Ann Rees, Manon Steffan Ros, Llŷr Titus and Kallum Weyman - will create a series of short plays responding to the world around them in an evening of entertainment and burning issues, hot off the press. The company are also supporting Frân Wen and the Eisteddfod's production, Popeth ar y Ddaear, bringing theatre to Maes B for the very first time.

In the autumn, the company will bring Rhinoseros, the European masterpiece by Eugène Ionesco, to Welsh stages in its first ever Welsh language adaptation by Manon Steffan Ros under the direction of Steffan Donnelly. As relevant now as ever, this absurdist play combines unexpected humour and nightmarish tension in a commentary on society, extremism and how hatred can spread like a virus - as the residents of a village succumb to a new order and transform into rhinoceroses. Rhinoseros will be on sale soon, along with news about the talented cast and creative team.

As part of the company's commitment to inspiring theatre audiences of the future, Theatr Gen is working with the artist Krystal S. Lowe to present a new and original show for young children this winter. Based on Krystal's book 'Whimsy', Swyn is a bilingual production in British Sign Language (BSL) and Welsh about friendship, nature and celebrating the things that make us all unique. Directed by Rhian Blythe, this wonderful wintery adventure will spark young audiences' imaginations through story and dance.

In the new year, Theatr Gen will platform the real-life experiences of young people today in the production Ie Ie Ie. Including honest interviews with young people across Wales, a gripping solo performance, and an opportunity for the audience to take part. This important piece of theatre raises essential questions around healthy relationships, lust, and consent. With director Juliette Manon at the helm, Ie Ie Ie is based on the show 'Yes Yes Yes' from award-winning Aoteaora/New Zealand-based theatre makers Karin McCracken and Eleanor Bishop. With the goal of presenting a piece created by young people for young people, the company will co-create parts of the show with young people across Wales by visiting schools and colleges over the coming months.

Alongside this ambitious programme of productions, Theatr Gen is delivering a number of long-term projects addressing the most important and challenging issues of this generation. Prosiect 40°C is a new project responding to the climate crisis. The aim of this multi-layered project is to discover different and creative means to challenge old ways of responding to natural disasters and to explore how the medium of live theatre can broaden our understanding of the climate crisis as an intrinsic part of life in Wales today. The project will begin with Gwreiddioli, a residency for artists at the Centre for Alternative Technology - in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and led by lead artist Dylan Huw - in August.

The Ar y Dibyn project continues to offer opportunities for those affected by addiction to respond to their feelings and experiences in creative ways. Since establishing the project in 2019, lead artist Iola Ynyr - alongside a group of artists, counsellors and translators who support the sessions - has worked with tens of participants across Wales to create powerful and eye-opening pieces. This is a project between Theatr Gen and Iola, in partnership with Literature Wales and with support from the North Wales Area Planning Board for Substance Misuse. The creative project Criw Creu will return in 2024, working with a group of Young Offenders from Parc Prison near Bridgend and offering opportunities for them to work with professional artists and performers. The Clwb Drama in partnership with Menter Gorllewin Sir Gâr also continues, with weekly drama sessions for primary school children in Carmarthen, the company's home.

The company's Artistic Director, Steffan:
"It's a privilege for me and the team to share this special programme with Welsh audiences. The season offers an excellent combination of the well-known and the unexpected, of the best new Welsh writing and adaptations of important international work, and it's filled with stories about the relationship between the individual and society; about the pressure to fit in. Since I joined the company as Artistic Director last year, it has been a real pleasure to meet and work with so many exciting artists across Wales and I'm pleased to present some of that work in this announcement today. Theatr Gen is a theatre for Wales, and I hope there's something for everyone in this year's programme."

As part of its commitment to working more sustainably and reducing its carbon footprint, the company will ensure that its productions reach the baseline standard of the Theatre Green Book (Theatre Green Book). This includes making sustainability a top consideration on each show from the outset, sourcing materials sustainably and recycling and repurposing sets, props and costumes.

For more information about all the productions and projects above, please visit Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru's website,Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru

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