Michael Sheen praised for using his own money to fund new Welsh national theatre

Michael Sheen, a star of Hollywood, is set to fund a new national theater company in Wales, who was praised for “putting money where his mouth is.”

The Welsh National Theatre’s first production is scheduled for 2026, and the actor is well-known for Good Omens and Romeo and Juliet. National Theatre Wales announced last month that it had “ceased to exist” following £1.6 million in cuts to its core funding from Arts Council Wales, which is unfortunate.

Speaking about the new venture, Michael, 55, said his new company still didn’t have funding but added: “But that suits my way of thinking. I like the idea of starting small, simple, lean and building it up, working with what you’ve got. Build it slowly with care, passion, vision, and ambition rather than paying for fancy offices if you don’t need them.

We want to represent the people of Wales, so I’d like to see representatives from the public working with us. I believe that using too many sources of funding makes you a little vulnerable, which is why I hope this business can survive on its own two feet. However, we are open to working with anyone who wants to get involved.

The Hollywood star said:” My instinct has always been, rightly or wrongly, that when people around you are saying: ‘ No, you can’t have that, you can’t do that, ‘ to go even bigger and bolder and go, no we’re not going to do that, we’re going to do 10 times that. “Michael added that he’s putting” everything behind “the venture which would have” Welsh theatre makers, Welsh stories and Welsh actors “at the centre of the company.

Fans took to social media to express their gratitude for the actor after the news was revealed. One user wrote on the former Twitter account for X, saying, “A famous actor is talking about the lack of funding in the arts but actually doing something about it.” Putting his money where his mouth is. One of the good ones is Michael Sheen.

Can everyone agree that the Welsh National Treasure is @Michaelsheen? What a wonderful thing to do, another commenter while posting: “One added:” Michael Sheen is an amazing person. Massive credit to Wales. The business is currently looking for public and private funding, but Michael explained that having its feet on fire would be possible.

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Source: Mirror