The Wales Theatre Company will cease operation in July 2009 at the conclusion of its next production – the musical version of Colleeen McCullough’s blockbuster novel The Thorn Birds. Announcing this decision Michael Bogdanov the Artistic Director said – “A combination of circumstances resulting in dwindling funding from The Arts Council of Wales and the City of Swansea has led me to the reluctant conclusion that it is time to hang up the touring boots. We have had a rollercoaster six years, producing 14 large scale pieces of work and touring throughout the UK to great acclaim. I am happy to have provided high quality work for a large number of Welsh based artists and technicians, often under difficult circumstances, and I am grateful to all those who have supported the company, both behind and in front of the curtain. The Thorn Birds finishes its 16 week tour at the Wales Millennium Centre and it is my wish to exit on a high note rather than stumble on into an uncertain future.” A History of The Wales Theatre Company. For many years South Wales lacked a theatre company specialising in large-scale projects. The Wales Theatre Company, born out of discussions with Swansea City Council and operating out of the Grand Theatre Swansea, was formed to fill that gap. In the six years since its inception the Wales Theatre Company has produced 14 large scale works in both the English and Welsh language, associated educational programmes and specially-commissioned and devised work for children. Under Milk Wood, the opening production, with Matthew Rhys as 1st Voice, marked the 50th anniversaries of both Dylan Thomas’ death and the first stage/radio performances of the play. The production toured Wales, before embarking on a round of major cities and theatres through the UK in 2004. In May a parallel production was mounted in Hamburg and toured Germany for three months in the autumn. In September 2004 the company mounted successful productions of three Shakespeare plays – Cymbeline, The Merchant of Venice, and Twelfth Night, performing all three on one day and earning nominations and awards. Spring 2005 saw the launch of a brand new Mal Pope/Wales Theatre Company musical, Amazing Grace, commemorating the life of Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival, which enjoyed huge success, playing to capacity houses and was dubbed ‘ the first great Welsh Musical’. That autumn, the company staged its groundbreaking back-to-back English/Welsh language production of Hamlet, premiering Gareth Miles’ celebrated Welsh version to great acclaim and winning the Theatre-Wales award for Best Welsh Language Production and the James Westaway award for Best Newcomer. In the autumn of 2006, A Child’s Christmas in Wales toured throughout Wales in tandem with A Christmas Carol, starring the legendary Ron Moody as Scrooge, whilst the box-office breaking Amazing Grace was revived by the company for a second outing at Swansea Grand Theatre, before touring to the Wales Millennium Centre. The three productions played to over 45,000 people. A German production of the WTC’s version of A Child’s Christmas in Wales will be launched in Hamburg November 2009. Also in 2006, as a mark of recognition for their outstanding contribution to the work of the Wales Theatre Company a body of Associate Artists was formed from a core group of performers : - Bill Bellamy, Llinos Daniel, Kath Dimery, Russell Gomer, Phyl Harries, John Labanowski, Richard Munday, Nicki Rainsford, Ieuan Rhys. Spring 2007 saw the world premier of the Mal Pope musical Contender, the story of Welsh heavy weight boxing legend Tommy Farr, played by Mike Doyle, which played to standing ovations nightly. Autumn 2007 Les Dennis joined the company to play the role of Truffaldino in Michael Bogdanov’s own adaptation of Goldoni’s classic farce “The Servant of Two Masters” In The Autumn of 2008 a modern dress version of Romeo and Juliet toured Wales and the UK to great acclaim, being seen by over 25,000 people. |
| Wales Theatre Company web site: www.walestheatrecompany.com |
| e-mail: info@walestheatrecompany.com |
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 |
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