30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
28 Years Later actor Sam Locke to appear in Newport play
Sam Locke, who will feature in the upcoming 28 Years Later: Bone Temple, has been praised as a potential breakout international talent.
He will take the stage in Newport this summer in Yma o Hyd, a one-act drama written and directed by his friend Dylan Duffield.
The play will be performed at the Phyllis Maud Performance Space in Newport on August 9 and 10.
Set in the aftermath of a mining explosion, the story follows two strangers trapped underground as they confront the weight of their past and the silence between them.
It explores themes of masculinity, identity, and working-class legacy in the final days of the Welsh coal industry.
Mr Duffield, who based it on stories his grandfather told him of his mining days, said: "He told me about the workers, the weight they used to carry and the strong community they were a part of.
"I wanted to pay tribute to those people and make their voices heard."
The play features no elaborate set design or large cast, instead relying on a stripped-back approach to focus on character and story.
Mr Duffield said: "It's just two people, a moment in time and everything that bubbles up when the walls start closing in."
The play is part of Perspectives, a programme from Gold Tops Studios aimed at supporting new work by local writers and performers.
Mr Duffield stars as Aled in the play and said his grandfather grew up in the Rhondda Valley and worked for the National Coal Board.
The production marks a return to the stage for Mr Locke before his anticipated appearance in the 28 Years Later sequel, set for release in 2026.
