Welsh artistic director bids farewell

MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY OF: THEATR GENEDLAETHOL CYMRU/WELSH LANGUAGE NATIONAL THEATRE

After a period of seven years as Artistic Director of the Carmarthen-based Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (the Welsh language national theatre), Cefin Roberts, has decided to call it a day.

He will remain in the post until the end of March and the completion of the company’s latest production of “Y Gofalwr’ – a Welsh language adaptation of Harold Pinter’s classic tale ‘The Caretaker’ - which begins its tour around Wales’ main theatre venues next week

Announcing today that he had accepted Cefin Roberts’ resignation the Chairman of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru’s Board of Directors, Professor Ioan Williams said that he was grateful for Cefin’s contribution to the Company since its formation and for the artistic direction he has offered everyone that has worked with the Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru on various projects over the past seven years.

“Cefin leaves us with our very best wishes and we thank him for his dedication and hard work,” he said.

“On behalf of the Board, I wish him every success in his career and we thank him for setting sound foundation for the Company and we now look forward to a new era, where we can build on those foundations, and continue to offer our audiences a range of the very best theatrical performances.’

Cefin Roberts, who lives in Bangor, was appointed the first Artistic Director of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru in 2003. During his period as Artistic Director he has directed, co-directed and overseen over 24 memorable productions that include ‘Cysgod y Cryman’, ‘Siwan’, ‘Iesu’, ‘Hen Rebel’, ‘Yn Debyg Iawn i Ti a Fi’, ‘Bobi a Sami….a Dynion Eraill’, ‘Ty Bernarda Alba’, and ‘Porth y Byddar’.

“I have very mixed emotions about announcing my resignation as it will be extremely difficult to say goodbye to friends and colleagues that I have had the privilege of working and socializing with while living in Carmarthen,” he said.

However, I do feel that the time is right to move on and I look forward to having more time with my family back in north Wales and I wish Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru every success in the future and I sincerely hope that I will have the honor of working with the Company again in the future.”

The search to find a successor for Cefin has already began and adverts will appear in the press within the next few weeks.