Richard Newnham

I was born on 14th April 1989 and ever since I’ve been playing wise men and shepherds in nativity plays in Ynysowen Primary School near Aberfan. I’ve always had a fond love of drama and performing. The first big project I was involved with was a school production of Calamity Jane in 2001. Other school productions I participated in included My Fair Lady in 2003 and Amazing Grace in 2007. As well as doing history plays for the school Eisteddfod I went on to do drama as part of my GCSEs and A levels with both results ending in a merit and continuing it on as part of my Combined Degree in university.

I worked as an extra in the first film I’ve ever been involved in called ‘Gangstars’ (2003) as well as being an extra in three series of ‘Belonging’ (2004 - 2007). As well as that I also had the opportunity to be an extra in the S4C TV series ‘Pent Alar’ (2009/2010) while in university.

As a prefect for Sensory Needs in St. Cerydd School I managed to put on shows such as variety shows, comedy shows for Comic Relief and once a version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ with Doctor Who in it. Even after I left school I returned to perform a fairy tale I wrote called  ‘The Swog Prince’(2008).

In 2005 I performed in a Battle and Banquet pageant in Castle Usk and a year later I had a walk on part in an ‘It’s My Shout’ short film called ‘The Hunt for a New Bob Crutch’ (you can find it on YouTube) where basically I had to run into a brick wall. (Not as painful as it sounds...honest.) It was via this film as well as playing Benvolio, Macbeth and Henry V in Shakespeare plays for the Big Cheese and playing an eagle in a play in Llanchiach Fawr that I joined the Caerphilly County Youth Theatre.

Full CV

Images above and left from ”Unequal Spaces” seminar