CURTAIN GOES UP ON NATIONAL THEATRE WALES’ FIRST PRODUCTION

Tonight (Thursday, 11th March) will see the first performance of A Good Night Out in the Valleys – National Theatre Wales’ first production – in Blackwood Miners’ Institute, and half the performances are sold out already.

The cast include Sharon Morgan, winner of last year’s BAFTA Cymru Best Actress Award for her role in Martha Jac a Sianco. Boyd Clack, star of BBC Wales’ High Hopes and Satellite City, as well as Twin Town, will also appear alongside Siwan Morris, star of Channel 4’s Skins and who last year performed in Sherman Cymru’s acclaimed Cloakroom.

Three young actors from BBC Wales’ Belonging will also appear; Oliver Wood who played Asbo, Huw Rhys who played Carl, and Amy Starling who played Nurse Spencer. Huw also appeared in Caerdydd.

The play will be performed in five miners’ institutes across the South Wales Valleys. It is based on real, homegrown valleys stories transformed into a laugh-out-loud night at the theatre, and will feature great live music performed by bands from each institute’s local area.

A Good Night Out in the Valleys is written by Alan Harris, originally from Church Village, Pontypridd. His theatre work includes Cardboard Dad (Sherman Cymru), Miss Brown to You (Hijinx Theatre), Orange (Sgript Cymru) and Burberry (Sherman Cymru).

The play is directed by National Theatre Wales Artistic Director John McGrath, previously Artistic Director of Contact, Manchester. John trained in New York, where he was also Associate Director of Mabou Mines. In 2005, he was awarded the NESTA Cultural Leadership Award.
Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, said: “A commitment to establish an English language theatre for Wales was included in the One Wales programme of this Assembly Government so I’m extremely pleased to see it become reality.
“National Theatre Wales have an ambitious programme for their first year, which will develop and enrich English language theatre in Wales, and I wish them all the best for their first production.”