From Welsh Stages to Hollywood Screens: Ruth Jones Leads Celebrations as National Youth Theatre of Wales Turns 50
The National Youth Theatre of Wales (NYTW) is launching a year-long anniversary campaign celebrating fifty years of ambitious theatre-making, creativity and opportunity for young people across Wales.
NYTW50: Reconnect. Celebrate. Shape the Future. will bring together generations of former members, current participants, supporters and audiences to celebrate the productions, people and stories that have shaped the organisation since its beginnings.
Launching the campaign is acclaimed writer, actor and producer Ruth Jones, one of NYTW's most celebrated alumni, who is inviting former members from every decade to reconnect with the organisation and share their memories, photographs and stories.
Ruth Jones, NYTW Alumni and Campaign Ambassador, said:
"For over 50 years, the National Youth Theatre of Wales has been a place where journeys begin. It's where so many of us first found our place in theatre, whether that was on stage, backstage, in the rehearsal room, in the director's chair, or shaping the work from behind the scenes.
"NYTW didn't just teach us skills. It set a standard—a belief in excellence, professionalism and ambition—and the confidence to meet it. It gave us community and helped us understand what kind of theatre professional we wanted to be.
"Now, NYTW is inviting us, its alumni, to be part of what happens next. To reconnect with old friends and collaborators, to celebrate the experiences that shaped us and, if we're able, to help open those same doors for the next generation of Welsh theatre makers—on stage, behind the scenes and everywhere across theatre."
Ruth Jones by Jordan Sheehy Videography
For over fifty years, NYTW has created ambitious productions, nurtured young talent and provided opportunities for young people to perform, collaborate and develop their creative skills. Many former members have gone on to successful careers across theatre, television, film and the wider creative industries, while countless others have carried their NYTW experiences into every area of life.
From mounting bold reinterpretations of classic works to championing entirely original new productions, NYTW has created unforgettable art that has fundamentally become part of the story of Welsh theatre.
Beyond the technical skills learned, these milestone productions are remembered for the lifelong friendships formed, the immense confidence gained and the creative possibilities they unlocked for thousands of young people.
A Pipeline of Global Talent
Look at the credits of the UK's biggest cultural exports and you will find NYTW's DNA. The organisation's alumni roster features the likes of:
Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Perry Mason)
Rakie Ayola (The Pact, Anthony)
Michael Sheen (Good Omens, Frost/Nixon)
Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power)
Russell T Davies (Doctor Who, It's a Sin)
Beyond the household names on screen, NYTW has helped shape the wider theatre industry in Wales and beyond. Alumni include Manon Steffan Ros , the Welsh novelist, playwright and broadcaster and Daniel Evans, Co-Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, alongside directors, producers, writers, designers, educators and arts leaders working across the BBC, S4C and major UK touring companies.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, NYTW is launching a nationwide call-out for alumni stories, production memories, photographs, programmes and archive material, helping to create a living record of five decades of theatre-making in Wales.
Throughout the year, the campaign will share alumni stories, celebrate landmark productions and create opportunities for former members and current participants to connect, share experiences and celebrate their contribution to Welsh cultural life.
The anniversary programme will culminate in a major celebration event later in the year and a future-focused performance project in Summer 2027.
The campaign will also launch the Cylch Alumni Circle, a new alumni network designed to strengthen connections between past and present members, alongside the Play Your Part: 50 More Years Fund, helping to support the future of theatre in Wales.
Megan Childs, Head of Theatre and National Youth Theatre of Wales Producer, said:
"NYTW has always been about bringing exceptional young people together to create ambitious theatre. For fifty years we've told extraordinary stories on stages across Wales while helping generations of young people discover their creative voice. As we celebrate this milestone, we're looking ahead with the same ambition: to create space for even more stories to be told, more voices to be heard and more young people, from every background and every part of Wales, to discover that they belong on our stages. That's the future we're celebrating and the future we're building together."
Former members, supporters and friends of NYTW are invited to reconnect and become part of the anniversary celebrations by sharing their stories, memories and photographs, and by joining the growing NYTW alumni community. Follow @nationalyouththeatrewales and @nationalyouthartswales on Instagram and visit the National Youth Arts Wales website https://www.nyaw.org.uk/nytw-50 for campaign updates, anniversary events and ways to get involved. Whether you performed on stage, worked behind the scenes or supported the company in any way, NYTW wants to hear your story.