Clwyd Theatr Cymru
Encyclopedia
Clwyd Theatr Cymru known until 1998 as Theatr Clwyd, is a regional arts centre located 1 mile (2 km) from Mold, Flintshire
, in north-east Wales
.
The complex contains five auditoria:
The complex forms part of the County Civic Centre at Mold (Yr Wyddgrug), being immediately adjacent to the Shire 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 it was abolished in the local government reorganisation of 1974 and replaced by Clwyd County Council, and the complex was opened by Queen Elizabeth II
in 1976. The name of the complex was changed 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.
Apart from hosting visiting theatre companies, Clwyd Theatr Cymru is home to Wales' major drama producing theatre company, under the direction of Terry Hands
KBD, 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. The then Theatr Clwyd was famous for, among other things, hosting the successful second stage performance of the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
.
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
, in north-east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The complex contains five auditoria:
- The Anthony HopkinsAnthony HopkinsSir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
Theatre (570 seats). - The Emlyn WilliamsEmlyn WilliamsGeorge Emlyn Williams, CBE , known as Emlyn Williams, was a Welsh dramatist and actor.-Biography:He was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family in Mostyn, Flintshire....
Theatre (adaptable studio space, up to 250 seats). - Studio 2 (adaptable studio space, up to 120 seats)
- The Clwyd Room (multifunction area, up to 300 seats).
- Cinema (120 seats).
The complex forms part of the County Civic Centre at Mold (Yr Wyddgrug), being immediately adjacent to the Shire Hall (the administrative offices of the former administrative county of Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
, now the offices of the Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
County Council). It was built at the instigation of the former Flintshire County Council before it was abolished in the local government reorganisation of 1974 and replaced by Clwyd County Council, and the complex was opened by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1976. The name of the complex was changed 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.
Apart from hosting visiting theatre companies, Clwyd Theatr Cymru is home to Wales' major drama producing theatre company, under the direction of Terry Hands
Terry Hands
Terence David Hands is an English theatre director. He ran the Royal Shakespeare Company for 20 years during one of its most successful periods.-Early years:...
KBD, 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. The then Theatr Clwyd was famous for, among other things, hosting the successful second stage performance of the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
.