Tributes paid after death of a ‘creative giant’

THE co-creator of Pobol y Cwm has died. Tributes have been paid to leading playwright and actor have been paid to Meic Povey, whose death was announced by S4C after a long battle with cancer.

Mr Povey, from Nant Gwynant in Gwynedd, was 67.

Arguably his greatest, and longest-lasting, legacy is the famous Welsh-language soap opera, the longest running on British TV.

He also played PC Taff Jones in hit 1980s crime series Minder.

But beyond popular TV, Mr Povey was also behind some moving and acclaimed drama – including the TV series Talcen Caled and the film Reit tu ôl i ti.

Amanda Rees, S4C creative content director, described Mr Povey as a “creative giant”.

Ms Rees said: “I am saddened to hear about the death of Meic Povey, an author of rare talent that made a huge contribution to film, television and theatre in Wales and beyond.

“There is no doubt that he was among the great Welsh playwrights of the past decades, with the ability to write popular entertaining drama as well as challenging material, dealing with issues relevant to the people of Wales today and universal themes about the human condition.

“His television output, from the early days of Pobol y Cwm, up to his most recent drama series Byw Celwydd, show how much of a loss he will be – he had so much more to offer.

“In admiring his talent to create memorable and engaging characters, we should note series such as Talcen Caled and Teulu, films such as Ryan and Ronnie, Reit tu ôl i ti, Nel and Sul y Blodau, not to mention his vast amount of work as a television and stage playwright and actor in both Welsh and English.

“With his deep roots in Snowdonia, combined with his experiences of living in Cardiff since the 1970s, he had the ability to voice the experiences of people from all over the country.

“In conveying our deepest condolences to his family and his close friends, we mourn the loss of a creative giant.”