Have you been in a café and cannot help but listen to the conversation happening next to you? Or how about going to the local chip shop and eating your meal whilst watching a play about Celtic mythology?

Both of these are possible, and there are more diverse options to choose from, when you visit the first ever Heart of Wales Theatre Festival on Saturday, September 28 2024.

Llandovery is set to host an array of brand new theatre productions, created by prominent Welsh writers and theatre makers specifically for unexpected locations within the town centre.

Each production will last 15 minutes and will be held in unique non-theatrical venues throughout Llandovery, including a fish and chip shop, the Clock Tower Café, the castle ruins, and the local library.

During the Festival there will also be free adult masterclasses, children’s workshops, street performers and stalls. There will also be an opportunity of a paid shadow scheme for a resident of the town interested in pursuing a career in the arts to assist one of the directors in their rehearsal period, to gain an insight and experience into a professional theatre production. 

Luke Bailey and Ella Peel have created the concept and are organising the event. Both are actors themselves and live locally in the rural town of Carmarthenshire.

Luke Bailey said: “The Festival has been designed to engage seasoned theatre-goers and first timers alike. The unusual venues will play host to performances designed solely for them. There are five brand-new, one-act, plays commissioned specifically for the Festival.”  

Ella Peel added: “Our aim of the Theatre Festival is to showcase the stunning tourist destination of Llandovery, my hometown, to visitors in fresh and inventive ways. We hope the event will also challenge locals to engage with the community, their home, their nation and the arts in powerful new ways.”

All creatives involved have been selected from Welsh and Wales-based professionals, ranging from emerging talent to established professionals.

The project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by Carmarthenshire County Council.