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Major new musical about Owain Glyndŵr is to be staged

By David Owens
Owain Glyndŵr

A new musical about the last Welsh Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndŵr, is to be staged in Cardiff next month.

The one-off script-in-hand concert performance of the new musical by Seiriol Davies will be held at Sherman Theatre on Saturday, September 7.

O.G. Prince of Wales is an epic sword and sorcery, queer-romance saga about Owain Glyndŵr and Henry V.

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Hilarious

The rebel Prince and the anointed King go head to head in a hilarious and heart-rending new musical about that most human of struggles: the quest to find out who we are and where we belong.

The cast includes Sharif Afifi, Marc Antolin, Seiriol Davies, James Ifan, Emily Ivana Hawkins, Emmy Stonelake and Rhys Taylor.

The creative team behind the musical are:
Seiriol Davies – Music, Lyrics and Book
Joe Murphy – Dramaturg and Director
Leo Munby – Musical Director

This is the first step of the journey of this major new musical being developed by National Theatre Wales.

Something epic is going to happen on 7 September.

Join us at @ShermanTheatre for the first script-in-hand concert performance of O.G. Prince of Wales – the major new musical by Seiriol Davies.

Book now: https://t.co/GFzU5xfrl1 pic.twitter.com/0EtJZb8Cab

— National Theatre Wales (@NTWtweets) July 31, 2024

Hollywood star Matthew Rhys recently lifted the lid on how he has tried to get a film about Owain Glyndŵr off the ground.

Appearing on a recent episode of the Rob Brydon & podcast, the two Welshmen discussed Rhys' latest projects and how the Cardiff-born actor was busy pitching ideas, but admitted he was currently 'stuck in development hell'.

"I'm in development for a number a number of things," he explained. "I suppose the one thing that I'm genuinely excited about that I've been trying to get made for so long is a story of Owain Glyndŵr.

"That's been that's been the uphill slog that's been about a 12 year development."

Matthew Rhys appearing on the Rob Brydon & podcast

When asked to explain to the non-Welsh listeners of the podcast just who Owain Glyndŵr was, The Americans and Perry Mason star, said: "Owain Glyndŵr was who many deem the last Welsh Prince of Wales, who in the 16th century led an incredibly successful rebellion against the English when things turned for the worse for Wales as they did for Scotland and Ireland.

"Glyndŵr united a very divided Wales. He not only retook Wales but started to push into England incredibly, until the English said, 'this is far far too much from the Taffs' and they came back with a vengeance. They took his family they came back upon him with a vengeance, the like of which we had never seen, which kind up set up modern Wales as it is now."

When podcast host Brydon enquired whether the film could have a happy uplifting ending, Rhys replied: "Yes, you'd probably end it with when we won the last Grand Slam!"

O.G. Prince of Wales
Saturday, 7 September
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Book tickets HERE

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8 comments

Y Cymro

Why there hasn't been a Hollywood blockbuster about Owain Glyndwr is baffling?

Reply
Gary Griffiths

If he thinks that Glyndwr stirred up rebellion in the sixteenth century, as stated, then it's no wonder he's been unable to get his film off the ground. Glyndwr's rebellion occurred between 1400 and 1407, in the FIFTEENTH century.

Reply
J Jones

Correct, but the arts do tend to live in fictional escapism rather than getting their facts right on the most important man in the history of this country. Money should be spent on factual education and developing the ability of people to visit his former homes, which are currently mounds of earth on farmland, one doesn't even have somewhere to park up if you want to visit.

Reply
Shân Morgain

The happy ending is Glyndwr and his family were never captured and executed. In fact the free pardons issued to him and his sons suggest a negotiated settlement. The English never really won. Plus it was the betrayal by French allies that broke Glyndwr's Tripartiture strategy. Wales would have become much larger, North England independent under the Percys, and SE England held by a French faction. I've often thought how different history would have been without the crushing English empire. See Brough, Gideon. 2017. The Rise and Fall of Owain Glyn Dŵr.

Reply
Rhysiart

Family were captured and some of his children and grandchildren died in the Tower of London.

Reply
Shân Morgain

I love the double name of the M4 bridge. Pont Tywysog Gymru/ Prince of Wales Bridge is a brilliant political game. To us that means Glyndwr to the English it's Charlie. There was a poll to choose the name and Owain Glyndwr Bridge came top. Some clever bureaucrat came up with a neat solution.

Reply
J Jones

Not a clever bureaucrat, it was Alun Cairns. He went against public opinion but said the 'wider silent majority is absolutely with us'. Apparently overheard in Barry Jobcentre last month claiming his recent unemployment was only due to his 'silent majority' being ignored when he got voted out of his job. Because of this the new bridge is and will always be known to me as Pont Owain Glyndwr Bridge.

Reply
HarrisR

I have long advocated such a production, even suggesting it to the Independent Wales Party many years ago. It needs to be a brilliant musical to attract a young and enthusiastic audience. Tom Jones as Owain, Charlotte Church as his warrior daughter, and the Manics and Stereophonics as his merry men. Lots of other feudal roles for Wales' jobbing actors and folk singers . It's a win win and who in Wales isn't a huge fan of such Feudalism where we all knew our station?

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The happy ending is Glyndwr and his family were never captured and executed. In fact the free pardons issued to him and his sons suggest a negotiated settlement. The English never really won. Plus it was the betrayal by French allies that b...

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