Star-studded cast unveiled for Welsh National Theatre epic

Nation.Cymru Staff

The full cast has been announced for Welsh National Theatre’s highly-anticipated upcoming stage production, Owain & Henry.

First announced in April 2025, Owain & Henry is penned by playwright Gary Owen, and co-directed by Michael Sheen, Steffan Donnelly of Theatr Cymru, and Hannah Noone.

An epic reimagining of one of Wales’ defining stories, the play is being touted as “one of the biggest moments in theatre this year”.

It will follow Owain Glyndŵr, a forgotten lord of a small northern land, as he is declared an outlaw by King Henry IV in 1400.

Rather than surrendering to his fate, Owain rises in rebellion. As the spark of his revolt spreads across the border, Henry finds himself struggling to keep the throne and the two men find themselves on opposite sides of history; one fighting for survival, the other for control.

Gary Owen explained: “I knew that to tell Owain’s story on stage would mean a epic show, at huge scale. I’d tried writing smaller versions of the story and they didn’t work. They didn’t give you a sense of what was at stake. Owain’s play, like Owain’s struggle, would have to be all or nothing.

“Huge plays cost money, so they’re a huge risk for producers – that’s why we hardly ever do them in Wales. We don’t dare. Until one day, Michael emailed me. And told me he that he dared. And so here we are, presenting this huge story on the epic stage of the WMC. All or nothing.”

Joining Sheen, who will take on the role of the legendary Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr, is acclaimed Law & Order and Vikings actor Linus Roache in the title role of King Henry IV.

BAFTA Cymru winner Rakie Ayola will play Mared Ferch Dafydd, a noblewoman and Owain’s wife, with Emily Burnett joining as their daughter Catrin Ferch Owain.

The Stage Award for Acting Excellence Winner Sophie Melville plays mother turned warrior, Lois, while Ned Costello will play Hal, the heir to the English throne.

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Also starring are Brendan Charleson as Percy, Martyn Ellis as Sir John Falstaff, Gruffudd Glyn as Bryn, Ian Hughes as Baron Reginald Grey, David Judge as Hotspur, Richard Lynch as Rhys, and James Wilbraham as Mortimer. –

Completing the cast is a talented ensemble of performers: Lizzie Caitlin Bennett, Beau Bradfield, Harrison Claxton, Caitlin Drake, Mirain Fflur, Orla Hardie, Aisha-May Hunte, Corey Mitchell, Jamie Morgan, Luke Rhodri and Joseph Tweedale.

Production

Mab Gwalia, Michael Sheen’s movement to create opportunities in the creative industries, is supporting emerging Welsh artists through associate and assistant roles within the production.

Matt Hellyer will act as associate set designer alongside set designer Jon Bausor, and Cara Hood is lighting design associate alongside lighting designer Aideen Malone.

Costume design will be from Elin Steele, with music and sound from Dyfan Jones, and Livi Wilmore will act as video design assistant alongside video designer Jack Phelan,

Anthony Matesena is movement director, Rebecca Wilson is fight director assistant alongside fight and intimacy director Bethan Clarke, casting director is Hannah Marie Williams, voice director Nia Lynn, and executive producer Kate Ferris completes the creative team.

Owain & Henry forms part of the new Welsh National Theatre’s debut season alongside Our Town, which ran in early 2026, following the establishment of the company in January 2025 by Michael Sheen.

‘Beyond thrilling’

Michael Sheen, artistic director of Welsh National Theatre and co-director of Owain & Henry, said: “To stand alongside this extraordinary cast and to imagine the life, fire and humanity we will bring to the stage together is beyond thrilling.

“Owain & Henry brings two towering figures, two nations and two versions of history into the same room. It asks us to hold all that complexity: the politics and the poetry, the intimacy and the spectacle, the past and the questions it asks of us now. For years people have wondered why Wales hadn’t told this story on this scale.

“That’s exactly what we’re setting out to do, creating opportunities for Welsh artists in its telling.”

Graeme Farrow, Chief Creative Officer of Wales Millennium Centre, said: “Owain & Henry is a story about building a nation, and about power and its corruptive effects. It is based on an old story but it feels urgent and relevant. It is the result of Welsh artists and institutions coming together to build something bold and ambitious.

“Our stage is a place for Wales to tell its stories and celebrate them with confidence, to audiences here at home and across the world. We can’t wait to see this remarkable cast and creative team bring this story to life in what promises to be a landmark theatrical event.”

Steffan Donnelly, co-director of Owain & Henry, added: “At its heart, theatre is a collective act: different artists coming together to create something none of us could make alone.

“Our cast and creative team for Owain & Henry makes the possibilities feel enormous, and I can’t wait for audiences to meet them.  This isn’t simply another production. It’s a chance to show what Welsh theatre can achieve when artists and organisations come together with real ambition.”

Owain & Henry will run in its Donald Gordon Theatre from 5 – 28 November 2026, with Pádraig Cusack as executive producer.

Tickets are available to purchase from the WMC site here.

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