Welsh National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre have unveiled the full company for Owain & Henry, their landmark co-production running at the Donald Gordon Theatre from 5–28 November 2026. The epic new play by Olivier Award-winning playwright Gary Owen reimagines one of Wales’ defining stories—Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion—on a scale rarely seen in Welsh theatre.

A clash of leaders: Michael Sheen and Linus Roache

Michael Sheen leads the production as Owain Glyndŵr, the legendary Welsh prince whose uprising reshaped the future of Britain. Joining him in the title role of King Henry IV is acclaimed stage and screen actor Linus Roache (Law & Order, Vikings, Richard II).

The play explores the explosive struggle between two men with competing visions of leadership, nationhood and power, reframing one of Britain’s defining conflicts from a Welsh perspective that has rarely taken centre stage.

Powerful women and a rising heir

BAFTA Cymru winner Rakie Ayola (Kaos, The Pact, The Authenticator) plays Mared Ferch Dafydd, a noblewoman and Owain’s wife, with Emily Burnett (Hollyoaks, The Dumping Ground, Rope) as their daughter, Catrin Ferch Owain.

Sophie Melville, winner of The Stage Award for Acting Excellence and known for Iphigenia in Splott, The Way and The Missing, takes on the role of Lois, a mother turned warrior.

Ned Costello plays Hal, heir to the English throne, as the production traces the personal and political consequences of rebellion and rule.

Ensemble cast

The principal cast is joined by:

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
James Wilbraham as Mortimer

Completing the company is a talented ensemble: 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.

A statement of ambition for Welsh theatre

Owain & Henry marks a major collaboration between Welsh National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre, bringing together leading artists and institutions to tell one of Wales’ defining stories “with the scale and confidence it deserves”.

Michael Sheen, artistic director of Welsh National Theatre and co-director of the production, 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, added:

“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.”

Co-director Steffan Donnelly, artistic director and joint chief executive of Theatr Cymru (Romeo a Juliet, Rhinoseros), said:

“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.”

Creative team and Mab Gwalia’s role

Sheen co-directs the production with Steffan Donnelly, with Associate Director Hannah Noone (The Wife of Cyncoed, BoHo, Hot Chicks) completing the directing team.

Mab Gwalia, Michael Sheen’s movement for change, is embedded within the project, creating associate and assistant roles for Welsh artists and investing in the future of Welsh theatre by nurturing emerging creative talent.

The full creative team includes:

Jon Bausor – Set Designer
Matt Hellyer – Associate Set Designer
Aideen Malone – Lighting Designer
Cara Hood – Lighting Design Associate
Elin Steele – Costume Designer
Dyfan Jones – Composer & Sound Designer
Jack Phelan – Video Designer
Livi Wilmore – Video Design Assistant
Anthony Matesena – Movement Director
Bethan Clarke – Fight and Intimacy Director
Rebecca Wilson – Fight Director Assistant
Hannah Marie Williams – Casting Director
Nia Lynn – Voice Director
Kate Ferris – Executive Producer

Dates and venue

A Welsh National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre co-production, Owain & Henry runs at the Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre, from 5–28 November 2026, with press night on Wednesday 11 November 2026.

A landmark event in Welsh theatre, Owain & Henry promises to bring history, politics and national identity roaring onto the stage with epic scale and contemporary urgency.

Full cast and creative team announced for epic new Welsh play Owain & Henry