First productions announced for Sherman Theatre’s 50th birthday year include:
- Imrie by Nia Morais, directed by Gethin Evans in a co-production with Frân Wen
- Romeo and Julie by Gary Owen, directed by Rachel O’Riordan in a co-production with the National Theatre
- Sherman Youth Theatre Festival including Ghost Cities
November 2023 will mark 50 years since Sherman Theatre, Cardiff’s theatre for Wales, first opened its doors to the people of the capital and the nation. Throughout 2023 Sherman Theatre will celebrate its audiences, artists and communities through an extensive, forward-looking programme of artistic and community engagement work.
Today, Sherman Theatre announces the first productions of this celebratory year with a diverse range of both emerging and established voices in Welsh theatre taking centre stage. Over the course of the year, communities across Cardiff and South Wales will once again see their experience represented on the Sherman’s stages with work in both Welsh and English. The Sherman’s doors will be open throughout the year to welcome back the many audiences, artists, communities and staff who have all played a part in the Sherman’s story.
Joe Murphy, Sherman Theatre’s Artistic Director said “For 50 years Sherman Theatre has served the audiences, artists and communities of Cardiff and South Wales with work that we feel the whole nation can be proud of. This year is for our audiences, our artists and our communities. It’s a year-long celebration for the people we exist to serve. We’ll look back, we’ll look mostly forward, but we will always work to entertain with exceptional drama, local stories and innovative work.”
Nia Morais arrived as one of the most exciting voices in Welsh theatre in the midst of the pandemic with the release of her first play Crafangau as part of Sherman Theatre’s Heart of Cardiff audio series which was later staged in outdoor performances. Now Writer in Residence at Sherman Theatre, and following her work adapting A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Welsh alongside Mari Izzard, Nia tells a magical story for young adults and upwards about bravery in her new play in the Welsh language – Imrie (12 – 20 May 2023). The world premiere of Imrie is a co-production with Frân Wen and is directed by its Artistic Director Gethin Evans (Woof Sherman Theatre), former Associate Director at Sherman Theatre. Imrie will premiere at the Sherman prior to a Wales-wide tour.
Gary Owen’s work is synonymous with Sherman Theatre. In recent years his plays including Iphigenia in Splott, Killology, The Cherry Orchard and A Christmas Carol have been central to the success of Sherman Theatre and its establishment as one of the UK’s major producing houses with an international reputation. Set in Cardiff’s Tremorfa and Splott communities, Gary’s new play Romeo and Julie (13 – 29 Apr 2023) is a modern love story inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set against the inequality of opportunity faced by many of today’s young people. The Olivier Award-winning partnership of Sherman Associate Artist Gary and former Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan is reunited for this co-production between Sherman Theatre and the National Theatre which was originally scheduled for 2020. The cast for Romeo and Julie includes Callum Scott Howells (It’s A Sin Channel 4, Cabaret West End) as Romeo and Rosie Sheehy (Bird Sherman Theatre, All’s Well That Ends Well RSC) as Julie, Catrin Aaron (The Lovely Bones Birmingham Rep, Missing Julie Theatr Clwyd), Paul Brennen (A Discovery of Witches Sky, Happy Valley BBC) and Anita Reynolds (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Sherman Theatre, A Monster Calls The Old Vic / Bristol Old Vic). The creative team also includes Designer Hayley Grindle (Iphigenia in Splott, A Christmas Carol Sherman Theatre), Lighting Designer Jack Knowles, Sound Designer Gregory Clarke and Staff Director Kwame Owusu. Romeo and Julie will open at the National Theatre prior to its performances at Sherman Theatre. Tickets go on sale on 14 October.
The prodigious creativity of its young people has been a constant source of pride for Sherman Theatre over many years. Sherman Youth Theatre has long been one of South Wales’ most cherished creative engagement programmes for young people. In recent years, Sherman Youth Theatre has built a reputation for putting its young people in the driving seat of their own creative development. Collaborating with Sherman Theatre’s highly successful Introduction to Playwriting development programme for 15 to 18 year olds, this company of young theatre makers will be taking inspiration from Gary Owen’s Ghost City; examining his snapshot of Cardiff and making their own. This new play nods to the past, and the future, but is rooted firmly in the present; sharing what this city means to the Sherman’s young people here and now. Ghost Cities (2 – 4 Mar 2023) also features as part of a special 50th Birthday Celebration Youth Theatre Festival hosted by Sherman Theatre (4 – 6 Apr 2023). Sherman Theatre will welcome a vibrant network of youth theatre companies from across Cardiff and South Wales, combining performances and a bustling schedule of workshops as these young people take over the building.
Further details of the Sherman at 50 programme will be announced over the coming months. Working in partnership with other companies has long been a key element of Sherman Theatre’s work, alongside co-productions with the National Theatre and Frân Wen, the Sherman will collaborate with Theatr Iolo on the 2023 Main House Christmas production for ages 7 plus. The packed birthday programme will also include further productions including shows by and for Sherman Theatre’s diverse communities, community takeovers, digital activities looking back over key moments in Sherman history, and a very special weekend of events over the course of the birthday weekend.