Michael Sheen will play the legendary Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr in Owain and Henry, a new co-production by Wales Millennium Centre and Welsh National Theatre, opening in Cardiff this week. Limited tickets are still available for the run at the Donald Gordon Theatre from November 5 to 28, though the show is on track for a full sell-out.
An Epic Story of Power and National Identity
Written by Olivier Award-winning Welsh playwright Gary Owen and co-directed by Sheen and Steffan Donnelly, Owain & Henry promises “An epic story of power, national identity, and the price of silence”. The production brings to life one of Wales’ most defining stories, where the fight for a nation's existence hangs in the balance.
The 57-year-old Sheen plays the legendary Welsh prince, joined by acclaimed stage and screen actor Linus Roache (Law & Order, Vikings, Richard II) as King Henry IV. Rakie Ayola will appear as Mared Ferch Dafydd, a noblewoman and Owain's wife, while Emily Burnett plays their daughter, Catrin Ferch Owain. Sophie Melville will play Lois, a mother-turned-warrior, and Ned Costello will play Hal, the heir to the English throne.
A Vital Period of Welsh History
The production primarily explores the explosive struggle between two men with competing visions of leadership, nationhood, and power, as Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion threatens to reshape Britain's future. On September 16, 1400, Glyndŵr's followers proclaimed him Prince of Wales, beginning a 15-year rebellion against Henry IV’s rule in England. The anniversary is commemorated each year as Owain Glyndŵr Day.
Last year, the first image and audio of Sheen in the role were released to mark the occasion. As Glyndŵr is announced as the Prince of Wales, the teaser says: “Acclaimed by blood, acclaimed by deed, acclaimed by allies, acclaimed by enemies, acclaimed by prophecy, acclaimed by the fire of the heavens and the trembling of the earth, and chosen to lead us by God Himself. Arise, Owain, Prince of all the Cymry.”
Sheen on Relating to Owain
Asked whether he could relate to the character of Owain, Sheen told WalesOnline: “He was a lot older than people thought! I mean, that was good for me, because I'm not a young man anymore. He's such a very unlikely rebel, really. His life was one of great privilege really... certainly for Welsh nobility at the time. He had quite a life of comfort and ease for a long time. So he was a man who was relatively wealthy; he had a secure family life, and then he has this argument with a neighbour, essentially, and that develops into a sense of great injustice. So he's a sort of reluctant rebel, really. I can relate to that in some ways.”
Owain & Henry runs at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff from November 5 to 28, 2026.
