Hollywood actor Michael Sheen is funding a new theatre company to fill the gap left by the folding of National Theatre Wales.

He will be the artistic director of Welsh National Theatre, which will aim to tell “big stories on big stages for big audiences”.

The first production, due in autumn 2026 and starring Sheen himself, will be announced in the coming months.

National Theatre Wales said it had “ceased to exist” last month after £1.6m in cuts to its core funding from Arts Council Wales.