PAUL HAYDEN WILLIAMS (Arvide Abernathy)

“The Festival is in my DNA as I’ve been involved from the very first show in the 80’s. It has become part of my Summer.”

Paul is a very familiar face to Festival audiences, having been involved with the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival for the past 40 years, and is one of only a few members of Everyman to have been involved since the very first production of The Winter’s Tale at Dyffryn Gardens in 1983. 

Shakespeare highlights include: Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (both directed by Peter Doran, former Artistic Director of the Torch Theatre); Caliban in The Tempest and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (both directed by Alun Vaughan Williams, founding Director of Theatre Wales).

His musical theatre highlights include Charley Kringas in Merrily We Roll Along, Tobias Ragg in the Welsh Premiere of Sweeney Todd and The Baker in Into the Woods – all Sondheim classics. He also performed alongside Simon H West (Director of this year’s production of Calendar Girls) as Max Bialystock in The Producers – Orbit Theatre’s 40th Anniversary production at the New Theatre.

Since the Festival’s move to Sophia Gardens, Paul’s roles have included Nathan Detroit (Guys & Dolls); Renee Artois (‘Allo, ‘Allo!); Herman (Sweet Charity); Patsy (Spamalot); Tevye (Fiddler on the Roof) and Uncle Fester (The Addams Family)

Paul Williams

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