With this week seeing the 25th anniversary of the Sea Empress disaster on (February 15), National Theatre Wales has been interviewing a number of Pembrokeshire people about their memories of the tragedy which devastated their local coastline and wildlife.

The interviews form part of the ongoing work around the production of ‘Go Tell The Bees’ by National Theatre Wales TEAM, a production due to take place later this year.

National Theatre Wales TEAM has been working on a four-year project co-created with the people of Pembrokeshire, which will culminate in a production entitled ‘Go Tell the Bees’ in the county later this year.

As part of its ongoing development, they have been interviewing people in Pembrokeshire about their memories of the Sea Empress disaster.

From surfers to fishermen, oil refinery workers to ship’s captains, conservationists to politicians, NTW were overwhelmed by the response to their call-out for interviewees and enjoyed listening to and learning from everyone’s stories.

Naomi Chiffi of National Theatre Wales TEAM said: “We are so grateful to everyone who shared their memories of the Sea Empress disaster - they are emotive stories that remind us of the beauty of our environment as well as its fragility and vulnerability.

“They are also stories about people and their personal connection to nature as well as their connection to each other and sit as a shining example of a community coming together in a time of crisis to work towards a more hopeful future.”

“We’re hoping that ‘Go Tell the Bees’ will be one of the first productions NTW are able to present to a live audience when government restrictions ease.”

The story of the Sea Empress disaster will form the backdrop to this work.

A short-form documentary about the disaster, developed in collaboration with Pembroke-based ‘Postcards and Podcasts’ will be released by NTW TEAM on February 22 2021.

To view a short clip of the people of Pembrokeshire sharing their memories of the Sea Empress disaster, click here: https://www.nationaltheatrewales.org/sea-empress-interviews/