Theatr Clwyd has been shortlisted for The Stage Regional Theatre of the Year award. With three theatres nominated, the award recognises outstanding achievement throughout the UK over the past twelve months. The nomination comes at the end of a remarkable year for Theatr Clwyd which has staged 13 in-house productions ‘Made in Flintshire’ and programmed new work by some of the most exciting voices around.
Wales Theatre Awards winner Artistic Director Tamara Harvey and Theatr Clwyd’s Executive Director Liam Evans-Ford commented “We’re thrilled to have been nominated for this prestigious award which recognises the incredible work that has happened on our stages and in our building and with our communities over the past year. Over the last 12 months the success of productions such as The Great Gatsby, The Assassination Of Katie Hopkins, Home, I’m Darling and our extensive work throughout our community with partners such as PACT and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams. None of this, however, could have happened without Flintshire County Council, the Arts Council of Wales and the thousands in our community and audiences who’ve supported us by seeing shows, making donations and spreading the word about the exciting work happening on our hillside in Flintshire.”
The Assassination of Katie Hopkins, a new musical by Chris Bush and Matt Winkworth, won Best Musical at this year’s UK Theatre Awards in October. Another première, Home I’m Darling by Laura Wade, directed by Tamara Harvey and starring Katherine Parkinson and Richard Harrington, was the theatre’s first co-production with the National Theatre on London’s South Bank and sold-out at both venues. It will open in the West End in the New Year.
Last January the theatre took over The Dolphin Hotel on Mold High Street for its first site-specific immersive show, The Great Gatsby. Later in the year, a female-led autumn season featured new productions of Lord of the Flies, made with Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre and the première of Thick As Thieves, in partnership with Clean Break. This was the theatre’s first show to tour into prisons.
Theatr Clwyd’s collaboration with new writing company Paines Plough saw three new plays in the pop-up Roundabout Theatre, in Mold and the Edinburgh Festival, with actor Katherine Pearce winning a Stage Edinburgh Award for her performance.
Work with the community included Company 25 staging an outdoor show, Tails, at Coed Moel Famau in the summer, with the support of Natural Resources Wales. The theatre’s Family Arts Weekend attracted over 5000 families, children and young people.
The Arts and Health programme, working alongside strategic partners including the NHS and Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, supports vulnerable members of the community through creative stimulation and activity, delivered with support from actors, and production departments. Projects include Arts from the Armchair, Singing for the Soul and Singing for Lung Health.
Theatr Clwyd is shortlisted for the Regional Theatre of the Year award with Nottingham Playhouse and The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the end of next month.