Sheen surprises youngsters with visit to see show
HOLLYWOOD star Michael Sheen surprised young performers with a visit and even joined them on stage when they put on the musical Annie.
The Frost/Nixon star dropped into the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl to watch the latest production by Bridgend Youth Theatre (BYT) on his way to the “wrap party” for his new movie, Netflix period drama Apostle, which has been filmed at Margam Park.
At the end of Friday evening’s show, he joined BYT’s artistic director Roger Burnell on stage to praise the youngsters, calling them an “inspiration”.
The star of The Damned United, Tron: Legacy and sci-fi movie Passengers – who also staged a 72-hour performance of The Passion for National Theatre Wales at locations across his Port Talbot hometown in 2011 – has long been a supporter of emerging talent in Wales.
In November he won the Inspiration Award at the annual It’s My Shout awards in Cardiff. The film training scheme is also run by Mr Burnell, who set Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon on the path to success while he was a drama teacher at Porthcawl Comprehensive.
Mum Rebecca Emily Lloyd, 40, from Porthcawl, whose daughter Daisyboo, eight, played an orphan in Annie, said the audience was shocked when Sheen turned up and went on stage.
“I have seen all the Underworld films and Twilight so when they said Michael Sheen had just turned up I thought ‘oh my God.’ It was a shock,” she said.
“When everyone was cheering and clapping at the end, someone introduced Roger and Michael. Everyone was so star struck that he was there.
“He said the kids of Bridged Youth Theatre were an inspiration and said how good their performance was. It was fabulous.”
Roger said Sheen – who he first met as a teenager when he performed a one-man show at Porthcawl Comprehensive – told the youngsters: “The song says the sun will come out tomorrow, but the sun comes out today for these young people.”
He said the Golden Globe-nominated actor stayed for at least an hour after the show to speak to parents and children and pose for photographs.
Roger added: “He didn’t want to sit in the posh seats for the show. He sat in the stalls with everyone else.”
The following day Sheen delivered The Aneurin Bevan lecture at the Hay Festival.