From Welsh Stages to Hollywood Screens: Ruth Jones Leads Celebrations as National Youth Theatre of Wales Marks 50 Years
The National Youth Theatre of Wales (NYTW) is kicking off a year‑long celebration marking half a century of bold theatre-making, creative opportunity and life‑changing experiences for young people across Wales.
NYTW50: Reconnect. Celebrate. Shape the Future. brings together alumni, current members, supporters and audiences to honour the productions, people and stories that have defined the organisation since its founding.
Fronting the anniversary campaign is acclaimed writer, actor and producer Ruth Jones, one of NYTW’s most recognisable alumni. She’s calling on former members from every decade to reconnect with the organisation and share their memories, photographs and stories.
Jones said:
“For over 50 years, the National Youth Theatre of Wales has been a place where journeys begin. It’s where so many of us first found our place in theatre — on stage, backstage, in the rehearsal room, in the director’s chair or shaping the work from behind the scenes.
NYTW didn’t just teach us skills. It set a standard — excellence, professionalism, ambition — and gave us the confidence to meet it. It gave us community.
Now NYTW is inviting us to be part of what happens next: to reconnect, to celebrate what shaped us, and to help open those same doors for the next generation of Welsh theatre makers.”
A Legacy Written Across Welsh Theatre — and Beyond
For five decades, NYTW has produced ambitious work, nurtured emerging talent and created space for young people to perform, collaborate and grow. Alumni have gone on to shape theatre, television, film and the wider creative industries — while many others have carried their NYTW experiences into every corner of their lives.
From radical reinterpretations of classics to brand-new productions, NYTW’s work has become woven into the fabric of Welsh theatre. But the legacy runs deeper than the shows: lifelong friendships, creative confidence and the sense of possibility unlocked for thousands of young people.
A Pipeline of Global Talent
NYTW’s alumni list reads like a roll call of Welsh creative influence across the world:
Matthew Rhys — The Americans, Perry Mason
Rakie Ayola — The Pact, Anthony
Michael Sheen — Good Omens, Frost/Nixon
Morfydd Clark — The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Russell T Davies — Doctor Who, It’s a Sin
Beyond the household names, NYTW alumni include novelist and playwright Manon Steffan Ros, Royal Shakespeare Company Co‑Artistic Director Daniel Evans, and a wide network of directors, producers, designers, educators and arts leaders shaping Welsh culture across organisations including the BBC, S4C and major touring companies.
A Call to Reconnect
As part of the anniversary, NYTW is launching a nationwide call-out for alumni stories, production memories, photographs, programmes and archive material — building a living record of five decades of Welsh theatre-making.
Throughout the year, the campaign will spotlight alumni, revisit landmark productions and create opportunities for past and present members to connect and celebrate their shared contribution to Welsh cultural life.
The celebrations will culminate in a major event later in the year, followed by a future-focused performance project in Summer 2027.
NYTW will also launch Cylch Alumni Circle, a new network strengthening connections between members past and present, and the Play Your Part: 50 More Years Fund, supporting the next generation of Welsh theatre talent.
Looking Ahead
Megan Childs, Head of Theatre and NYTW Producer, said:
“NYTW has always been about bringing exceptional young people together to create ambitious theatre. For fifty years we’ve told extraordinary stories while helping generations discover their creative voice.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re looking ahead with the same ambition: more stories, more voices, and more young people from every part of Wales discovering that they belong on our stages.”
Former members, supporters and friends are invited to reconnect by sharing stories, memories and photographs, and by joining the growing alumni community. Follow @nationalyouththeatrewales and @nationalyouthartswales on Instagram, and visit the NYAW website for updates, events and ways to get involved.
Whether you performed, worked backstage or supported the company, NYTW wants to hear your story.