Emyr Edwards was one of the founders and director of the Urdd’s Youth Theatre Company, which was established in 1973 to provide opportunities for young people to take an interest in acting through the medium of Welsh. One of the highlights of the initiative was to perform the musical ‘Jiwdas Iscariot’ throughout Wales. Emyr was a true benefactor of the organisation and it was both a privilege and a pleasure to honour him at the Cardiff and Vale Urdd Eisteddfod 2019.

Emyr spent his career as head of the Drama Department at Glamorgan Training College Barry and then at the Polytechnic of Wales, Pontypridd. He was a producer for four years in the early days of S4C’s development and won the short drama competition three times at the National Eisteddfod. He has over 30 published volumes, most of them plays and others poetry.

The Urdd as an organisation sends its sincere condolences to this family, and looks to resume the Youth Theatre Company in the future.