£15k appeal launched to stage Penyberth opera
A crowdfunding drive backed by Dafydd Wigley and harpist Elinor Bennett seeks £15,000 to bring a Welsh‑language opera on the 1936 Penyberth arson to the stage.
A £15,000 crowdfunding appeal has been launched to fund a new Welsh‑language opera marking the 90th anniversary of the 1936 Penyberth arson.
The production, titled Fflamau Penyberth, will receive its world premiere at Neuadd Dwyfor in Pwllheli on 19 November before touring a dozen venues across Wales.
The appeal has attracted the backing of former Plaid Cymru president Dafydd Wigley and internationally acclaimed harpist Elinor Bennett.
On 8 September 1936 three Plaid Cymru members – Saunders Lewis, Lewis Valentine and D.J. Williams – set fire to the RAF Penrhos bombing school, known locally as the Penyberth farmhouse.
After the blaze the trio drove to the police station in Pwllheli, turned themselves in and were later sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment at London’s Old Bailey.
The incident is widely regarded as a turning point in modern Welsh nationalism, symbolising resistance to the militarisation of a culturally significant site.
OPRA Cymru, the company behind the new opera, aims to bring the dramatic episode to the stage in Welsh, with music composed by Anglesey‑based Gareth Glyn.
The libretto has been written by company founder Patrick Young of Llan Ffestiniog, assisted by historian Arwel Vittle of Caernarfon.
Following the Pwllheli premiere the production will travel to Rhosllannerchrugog, Bangor, Swansea, Barry, Brecon and Aberystwyth, returning to Pwllheli for a final performance.
Organisers say the remaining £15,000 will cover set construction, rehearsals, touring costs and translation of surtitles into English.
“This is a worthwhile cause”. It is an event I first heard about from my father who was at Caernarfon to welcome the three men after their release from prison.
“My father was very passionate about the incident recognising they had committed a criminal act but believed it to significant and far‑reaching.”
Wigley praised the project as a powerful medium for exploring Welsh identity and history.
OPRA Cymru was established in 2008 by Patrick Young, a former director at the Royal Opera House in London, and has a track record of producing Welsh‑language works.
The crowdfunding campaign is hosted on a dedicated platform, with public contributions welcomed and donors acknowledged in the programme notes.
No commercial incentives are attached to the appeal; the sole aim is to secure the funds required to bring the opera to life.
The timing coincides with a broader resurgence of Welsh‑language arts ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, reflecting heightened cultural investment.
Community groups in Gwynedd have pledged to promote the fundraising drive, hoping to engage local audiences with the historic narrative.
Tickets for the 19 November premiere are expected to sell quickly, underscoring strong regional interest in the production.
The final performance in Pwllheli is slated for early 2025, concluding a tour that will have visited six additional Welsh towns.
The appeal remains open until the £15,000 target is reached, with regular progress updates posted online.