Owain & Henry star withdraws from production due to illness

Nation.Cymru staff

Linus Roache has withdrawn from Owain & Henry due to illness, with Nigel Barrett taking over as King Henry IV opposite Michael Sheen in the historical drama at Wales Millennium Centre.

Roache, whose screen credits include Law & Order and Vikings, was cast as the English king whose rule is challenged by Owain Glyndŵr, played by Sheen. The change comes during the Cardiff run and ahead of a planned filming of the production for a worldwide streaming release.

In a joint statement, Welsh National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre said: “Sadly, Linus Roache has had to step away from Owain & Henry due to illness. Celebrated actor Nigel Barrett will take over the role of Henry from now on.”

The co-producers said Barrett’s theatre credits included Hamnet and Julius Caesar with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has won The Stage Award for Best Actor and the Samuel Beckett Theatre Award.

They added: “We want to say a huge thank you to Linus for his time and work on the show, and we send our best wishes for a speedy recovery.”

Written by Olivier Award-winning Welsh playwright Gary Owen, the play opens in 1400 after Henry IV declares Glyndŵr an outlaw. Glyndŵr launches a rebellion against English rule, and as the revolt spreads across the border, Henry finds himself fighting to keep his throne.

Sheen, who founded Welsh National Theatre and is its artistic director, co-directs the production with Steffan Donnelly. The production also provides associate and assistant roles for Welsh artists through Mab Gwalia, Sheen’s initiative.

The cast includes Rakie Ayola as Glyndŵr’s wife, Mared Ferch Dafydd, and Emily Burnett as their daughter, Catrin Ferch Owain. Sophie Melville plays Lois, with Ned Costello as Hal, Sion Tudor Owen as Sir John Falstaff and David Judge as Hotspur.

Sheen had previously hinted in an interview with Nation.Cymru that the show could be filmed. Asked about the possibility, he said: “Everything’s up for grabs and I’m sure there’ll be announcements about things like that in the future.”

The production is due to be filmed at the Donald Gordon Theatre on 26 November, two days before its Cardiff run ends. It will be available worldwide on National Theatre at Home from 1 March 2027, joining other productions featuring Sheen on the platform, including Nye, Our Town and Under Milk Wood.