Our Town – Rose Theatre

Michael Sheen is the Artistic Director of Welsh National Theatre, and this is their inaugural production, co-produced by Rose Theatre themselves. Sheen has put his money where his mouth is, funding WNT himself.

They begin with an American classic, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. While this may not sound innately Welsh – the tale of a quintessential American town – it is said that Dylan Thomas was familiar with both Wilder and his play when he wrote Under Milk Wood.

So, we take ourselves to Grover’s Corners, a small town with a Welsh accent somewhere, well let’s just say somewhere. The Stage Manager guides the audience through the story, introduces us to a number of the inhabitants and we jump back and forward in time to follow their trials and tribulations.

Sheen himself plays the Stage Manager, an almost constant presence, watching over the young town folk as they live their lives, much like Sheen as Artistic Director must watch over his young actors. He brings the warmth and charm you can expect from an actor of his calibre, the stage manager showing us joy and sorrow and Sheen beautiful at both. It’s well balanced so as to not to overshadow the rest of the cast who are all strong. Yasemin Özdemir gives a great performance as Emily Webb, the innocence of young love and then later the poignant memories of times past.

There’s a real sense of community shown; some gossiping, some moments of everyone knowing the other’s business but also genuine care for each other even when times are tough, it feels warm. With that warmth comes laughter, a highlight being a pre-wedding breakfast conversation with George and his soon to be father-in-law Mr Webb (Rhodri Meilir). Meilir tackles the comedy with aplomb, his physicality really fitting here, his sense of awkwardness as he struggles through discussing the realities of married life.

This sense of intimacy is complemented by the minimal set. It comes with high ambition, allowing for an inventive almost cinematic tour of the town as wooden planks form train tracks and churches and breakfast counters. At points the ensemble themselves become the scenery bringing more warmth and laughter all reinforcing a sense of a lived-in town appearing on the stage.

Through the first two acts we spend enough time to settle with the town, getting to know the people and hoping for things to turn out well for them. It is beautifully paced, gentle but also enough for us to know that time is passing. The third act makes excellent use of simple ladders and small torches, underlining the themes of memory and mortality. The emptiness of the stage below the ladders increases the emotional impact, really complementing the themes of memory and mortality as Emily reflects back on her life.

The one issue that feels slightly out of place is the Welsh connection; it doesn’t quite fit. There are Welsh hymns and only Welsh accents, but the setting remains the US, money is in dollars and there are many references to American geography. It leaves a disconnect between the setting and the performances. It doesn’t detract from the emotional core; it just feels like a lost opportunity to have transported the story directly to the Welsh valleys.  

The evening hits a rare balance of joy and contemplation. It leaves us thinking about the small precious moments of everyday life, moments spent here with this play feel anything but wasted. An evening shared with warmth and laughter, that itself one of those joys Our Town reminds us not to overlook.

Our Town plays at Rose Theatre until 28th March, https://www.rosetheatre.org

Reviewer: Dave Smith

Reviewed: 4th March 2026

North West End UK Rating: