Innovation, confrontation and high quality staging abound in Wales’ theatre sector as we go into autumn 2025, and few are better placed than Hari Berrow to wax lyrical on this. So here she is, doing just that for four choice productions.
Utsav
Seeking to platform South Asian artists from Wales and the wider United Kingdom, Samarpan’s Utsav is an evening of Indian classical dance featuring Samarpan students and talented professional dancers from across the UK. Celebrating the place of classical dance in the South Asian diaspora, it showcases four classical dance styles: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Odissi.
Leena Menon and Santosh Nair, the directors of the company, state, “We felt there was a gap when it came to consistent, high-quality classical Indian arts programming in the region, and Utsav was our response. Utsav is a heartfelt offering to Wales, a celebration of classical Indian dance at its finest this year. Through Utsav, we hope to deepen appreciation for these ancient forms and spark new conversations around identity, heritage, and the power of the arts to connect us all.”
Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff, Sun 7 Sept
Info: here
Leo Drayton, Dynolwaith
Dynolwaith
In another exciting collaboration, Frân Wen and Sherman Theatre are collaborating once again, following the success of their 2023 production Imrie, with another show that seeks to platform sidelined voices in Wales and beyond. Dynolwaith (loosely translated as ‘man-made’) is a Welsh-language production exploring what it was like to transition in the 2010s, the importance of support networks and what happens when we’re pushed to the brink.
The piece is written and performed by trans creator Leo Drayton, with support and insight offered by trans consultant Kay R Dennis. Drayton comments, “it is a privilege to get to tell this story especially in the Welsh language. At a time when the trans community is being targeted and misrepresented it is even more important now that our voices are heard.” The piece will be accompanied by a series of engagement events for the wider trans community, where they will be invited to share their experiences and stories.
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 26 Sept-Sat 4 Oct; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Tue 7 Oct
Info: here
Romeo A Juliet – credit Kirsten McTernan
Romeo A Juliet
The last few years have been full of groundbreaking collaborations between Welsh and major English theatre companies, and now Theatr Cymru adds to the list with Romeo A Juliet, their collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe. A bilingual production, the script blends Shakespeare’s original text with Chief Bard J. T. Jones’ 1983 Welsh translation. The production is directed by Theatr Cymru’s Steffan Donnelly, who’s graced the Globe stage as an actor and was named an Associate Artist with the company earlier this year.
The show features Steffan Cennydd (The Pembrokeshire Murders, The Feast) as Romeo, and Isabelle Colby Browne as Juliet. Isabelle has been learning Welsh for the past three years and recently appeared in Gwlad! Gwlad! at the National Eisteddfod – her casting marks a really exciting moment for Welsh learners looking to find their place in the wider Welsh-language arts scene.
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Mon 29 Sept-Fri 3 Oct; Theatr Brycheiniog, Tue 7 Oct; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thurs 9; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Wed 22 + Thurs 23
Info: here
A Visit
A Visit
Following the success of the show last year, theatre company PaperTrail remount A Visit this autumn. They, and playwright Siân Owen, began working on the play in 2019, interviewing women and children affected by maternal imprisonment in England and Wales. Through these interviews and conversations with academics and social workers, they discovered that families often have to travel hours to visit women in the justice system, due to the relatively small number of women’s prisons across the country.
The piece examines the complexities of being a woman in the justice system, and the impact that separation has on the children left behind. Performances are often accompanied by Q&As with people knowledgeable about the area – prison workers, social workers, the creative team and more. The show received amazing reviews in 2024 and invites the audience into a conversation that many of us don’t even know is taking place.
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 7 + Wed 8 Oct; Grand Theatre, Swansea, Wed 15; Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil, Fri 17; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 24
Info: here
words HARI BERROW