Manon Steffan Ros Interviews Actor Michael Sheen
Over recent months, internationally renowned actor Michael Sheen has been touring theatres across Wales with the play Our Town, regarded by some as one of the greatest dramas ever written.
The production has sold out at every venue so far, with Sheen intentionally casting Welsh actors in this American drama.
In an interview with Manon Steffan Ros for the BBC Radio Cymru programme Llwyfan, Michael Sheen explained his vision for his new company, Welsh National Theatre, and how he has sought to engage audiences in Welsh communities to connect with the important messages of one of the world’s most famous plays.
'A Wonderful Feeling'
Manon visited Theatr Clwyd in Mold to speak with the cast of Our Town, which includes actors such as Aisha-May Hunte, Jâms Thomas, Nia Roberts, Sian Reese-Williams, and Rhodri Meilir.
Michael Sheen plays the stage manager and said in English during his interview with Manon:
"Of all the productions I’ve ever done, this is the one that gives me the most pleasure. It gives you that live feeling, to be able to tell a story like this, which has affected people across generations, to an audience in Wales. It’s a wonderful feeling."
Our Town was originally written by Thornton Wilder in 1938.
The play is set in the fictional town of Grover's Corners in America between 1901 and 1913 and tells the everyday life stories of the people living there.
When Michael Sheen established Welsh National Theatre last year, choosing this full multi-cast drama as his first production was a significant decision.
But why choose Our Town? He was likely moved by the play during a visit to New York.
"I first encountered Our Town when I was in America. I had just finished Frost/Nixon on Broadway and one of the actors took me to a performance of Our Town. I was deeply moved, and since then I’ve read the play more than once and always come away wanting to call my mum and be close to the people you love."
The theme of community is very important in the play and is central to Michael’s idea of helping the audience identify with the characters on stage.
Jâms Thomas plays Constable Warren in Our Town.
Although it is an American drama, attempting to Welshify such a play was challenging.
Thornton Wilder’s estate has been very protective, and Welsh National Theatre’s writers were not allowed to alter the original story significantly.
However, the Welsh cast and the hymns sung in Welsh on stage help realise Michael Sheen’s vision.
Jâms Thomas, who plays Constable Warren, told Manon Steffan Ros about the marriage between the American setting and the Welsh elements incorporated:
"We were allowed to change a few place names in the script, remove references to the Civil War and baseball, and we changed that to rugby. Because it’s a play about humanity rather than a specific place, the fact that there are Welsh accents and some Welsh names works for me. I believe when Thornton Wilder wrote it, he wanted to write something that could appeal to anyone from a small town anywhere in the world."
That is possibly what drew Michael Sheen in as well.
"When I saw the play, I could identify with what I was watching. I know it’s an American play with American actors, but essentially I could relate to it all through my experiences, my community, and my family. So it always felt Welsh to me in that respect, and I believed it could work well and be transferred to a Welsh community. I brought Welsh actors together, and hearing the original script spoken through them brings it all to life, and what it’s like to live in a small town and the feeling of community and family... it feels very familiar to me and many people in Wales and the audience who have seen it so far. When we first performed it in Swansea, I wanted it to feel like we were doing a play about Swansea and the community there."
Michael Sheen also spoke about a difficult period in his life last year when he lost his father and how a play like this reminds some people about life in general.
"The big message is, make the most of life. I lost my dad last year and it reminds you that life is short and the things you take for granted. I’m doing this play every day at the moment with that raw feeling still there from losing my dad. Losing my dad and performing this play has had a very similar effect on me because it wakes you up, it makes you think about how much there is to lose and what you need to do to make the most of things."
Michael Sheen’s Presence
Establishing the Welsh National Theatre company and Michael Sheen’s presence on stage in Wales has ensured that tickets for the tour have sold out.
The company’s first production also achieved this, with Matthew Rhys playing Richard Burton.
Over ten days in November, Matthew performed the one-man show Playing Burton fifteen times across Wales to rave reviews.
Does this add extra pressure on public expectations for future Welsh National Theatre productions?
Branwen Cennard, the author and producer who reviewed Our Town, said Sheen’s appeal attracts a different audience.
"I think it’s Michael Sheen’s name that draws people. I hardly knew anyone at Theatr y Grand, Swansea. Usually, when someone goes to see a play in Wales, you know most of the people sitting around you, and that wasn’t the case. So he clearly attracts a different audience; he draws large numbers. He walked on stage and the audience was in the palm of his hand before he even opened his mouth. So his appeal is truly enormous, which is great, but of course it’s a big pressure on him because if people come to see him, that limits to some extent what he’s going to be able to do in the future."
Rhodri Meilir, who plays Charles Webb in Our Town, says it is positive to have someone like Michael Sheen with vision and financial capacity to start something new.
"There has always been a theatrical tradition in Wales. What’s important for us in Wales is that this doesn’t drown everything else out; it’s a difficult time for everyone in the world right now. With theatre shows in Wales, usually they stay in Wales, and now we have someone with vision who recognises the fact that these stories here in Wales and Mr Sheen wants to take these stories not only across the border but also abroad, which is great. It’s important we remember we have an audience in Wales too and that we feed them, so hopefully we get the best of both."
Looking to the future, Michael Sheen emphasised that the tour will be a wild ride.
"It’s going to be a rollercoaster for us. This is the first production; thank goodness it’s gone very well and achieved what I hoped. I hope people also realise this is something long-term and not just for one production."
A clear message, then, that Michael Sheen will likely be seen more frequently on Welsh stages in the future.
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