Theatr Clwyd

Theatr Clwyd

Theatr Clwyd (Welsh pronunciation: [θɛːatr klʊɨd]) is a regional arts centre and producing theatre 1 mile (1.6 km) from Mold, Flintshire, in North East Wales. It opened as Theatr Clwyd in 1976, but was known between 1998 and 2015 as Clwyd Theatr Cymru, before reverting to its original name.

History[]

Theatr Clwyd opened in 1976. It forms part of the County Civic Centre at Mold (Yr Wyddgrug), being immediately adjacent to the County Hall (the administrative offices of the former administrative county of Clwyd, now the offices of the Flintshire County Council). It was built at the instigation of the former Flintshire County Council before that was abolished in the local government reorganisation of 1974 and replaced by Clwyd County Council.

The complex was opened by Queen Elizabeth II under the artistic direction of George Roman. Toby Robertson was the theatre's artistic director between 1985 and 1992.^[1] Robertson introduced several leading actors, including Vanessa Redgrave, Sir Michael Hordern and Timothy Dalton, to the theatre. Robertson was succeeded as artistic director by Helena Kaut-Howson, followed by Terry Hands from 1997 to 2015. Hands' successor, Tamara Harvey, was appointed in June 2015.

HTV Wales had offices and a studio at the site from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, but production was scaled back following the opening of the company's new studio complex at Culverhouse Cross in Cardiff. A small news operation remained in Mold until the late 1990s but closed when HTV moved its North Wales news operations to Colwyn Bay and Wrexham.

The name of the complex was changed to Clwyd Theatr Cymru in 1998 to reflect the reorganisation of local government at that time which abolished Clwyd as a county and brought Flintshire back into existence, although defined by different borders from the original ones. However, in 2015 the complex reverted to its original name.

Apart from hosting visiting theatre companies, Theatr Clwyd is home to Wales' major drama producing theatre company, under the artistic direction of , which stages their own productions throughout the year (including one of the longest-running pantomimes in the country) and also regularly performs on tour around Wales and the UK.

Theatr Clwyd hosted the successful second stage performance of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.