I caught up with Michael McCarthy amid rehearsals for Greek and a new production of The Killing Flower, an opera by Salvatore Sciarrino, which they will perform next month – its premiere in the UK.

He said: "It feels amazing to be celebrating our 25th anniversary. Occasionally I have to pinch myself to remind myself it is all really happening.

"It's wonderful to know that from a tiny idea between a couple of people, followed by a great deal of thought and energy while trying to put it together, we have created an opera company that has secured a unique place in the UK opera scene. And it continues to innovate and remain dedicated to creating new work.

"We've got some fabulous plans for the next three years and feel that the company is preparing to be more artistically vibrant than it ever has been before, which gives us every reason to continue working hard."

Greek opens in Cardiff on 1 October when it is performed at The Weston Studio at Wales Millennium Centre.

There will also be performances in Birmingham, Manchester and at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Michael said: "It feels right to bring it to Cardiff as they missed out last time. It's a landmark show and it feels really exciting to do it again with exactly the same cast – it’s very high energy and high impact and the rehearsals are just fizzing.

"It's a brilliant example of how a new and small-scale opera can work musically and theatrically.

"It's based on Steven Berkoff's Greek and is all about the power and passion of the characters. It is a very visceral and violent story but with some very comedic moments. Turnage's musical energy is just phenomenal."

Greek is a co-production with Theatr Brycheiniog and the Cardiff performance of Greek is presented by Welsh National Opera.

The Killing Flower opens on 18 October in a specially designed auditorium on the stage at The Donald Gordon Theatre at Wales Millennium Centre, before venturing to The Linbury Studio at Royal Opera House London (24 October), Venue Cymru Llandudno (2 November) and Grand Theatre Swansea (26 November).

The opera by Sciarrino was inspired by the true story of Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo, renowned for his musical work but equally notorious for the cool, brutal murder of his wife and her lover.

Michael said: "In the Killing Flower the composer invites listeners to eavesdrop on muted conversations, hushed whispers and fraught silences, all played out against a backdrop of soft sounds.

"To fit in with that sense of it being a whispered piece with whispered singing and playing, we have created an inbuilt intimacy by placing the audience on stage alongside the singers and musicians.

"I want the audience to be right inside the set and witness events just as they happen. It will immediately cast a spell and make them listen to the music differently."

The Killing Flower is a co-production with Wales Millennium Centre, sung in English with translation by Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Paola Loreto.

Michael McCarthy will give a pre-show talk at all venues an hour before each of the performances of both operas.

Next year will also be an exciting one for MTW with a newly commissioned opera by the American composer Philip Glass, The Trial, based on Franz Kafka's novel of the same name.

Music Theatre Wales's relationship with the music of Philip Glass goes back to 1989, when the company gave the European premiere of The Fall of the House of Usher, also revived in 1990 and 1993. The success of that production led to Music Theatre Wales' decision to stage the UK premiere of another of Glass's so-called 'pocket' operas, In the Penal Colony.

Glass himself approached MTW offering to create something for them and the piece will see him working with the Oscar-winning theatre and film writer Christopher Humphrey.

Tickets for both Greek and The Killing Flower are available from the Wales Millennium Centre's ticket office on 02920 636 464 and at www.wmc.org.uk.

Trailers and further information about the operas and tour venues are available at musictheatrewales.org.uk.

The show opened on Tuesday and received a standing ovation as well as a last minute boost via a recorded message from Barrowman himself.

The star has known about the show from the start and has been tweeting the team, but the cast and crew said it was a big lift to hear directly from him.

Jude said: "It was amazing. We were very nervous on opening night but to hear people laugh at the jokes Naomi and I had written and in all the right places was very gratifying and the message really gave everybody a boost.

"John Barrowman is such a local favourite, he lives in Sully and is really well-known, not only for Torchwood but for his contributions to musical theatre, so when Naomi and I developed the idea, we knew his fan base was a phenomenon.

"Since we've been working on the project, we have encountered some very loyal fans and received tweets from Japan, Germany and France and I believe we have groups from France and Germany coming to see it on Friday."

Patrick had always wanted to write a musical but felt unsure about penning the script himself so approached Jude and Naomi for help two years ago when he was directing a choir that both sang in.

Jude presented him with four plot-lines including the one about John Barrowman and then she and Naomi worked on developing a script for a stage show.

She said: "Patrick is very good at marrying the music with the ideas Naomi and I came up with. We would say ‘We really need a song here and it needs to be upbeat or romantic' and he would immediately come back with something that fitted in with what we wanted."

When the trio were pitching the show, they did have interest from theatres in London, but were keen to stage it sooner rather than later, so raised funds to produce it themselves.

Patrick said: "What I've absolutely loved about this project is that whenever we've asked people for their support and their help, they have been amazing.

"I've talked to theatres and stage managers and set designers and asked them questions and they've all pointed me in the right direction, whether it's for funding applications or the right people to speak to, so I feel quite blessed that so many people have been happy to support us.

"We've also been overwhelmed by the support from audiences as the show sold out when we were still busy working on it and we ended up adding two nights to the initial run.

"I feel really proud we've managed to create a new musical, particularly one that is set in Wales.

"It's wonderful that Stalking John Barrowman is having a Welsh premiere because there is so much in the show that is Welsh - including the setting, the humour and the characters."

The trio hope to take the show on a tour of Wales or perhaps to the Edinburgh Fringe next year and believe it does have an appeal outside of Cardiff.

Patrick added: "The title does have that bums on seats appeal but it also a touching and funny story.

"It plays off all the musicals you have ever seen in your life before so whether you like old school 1940s Broadway, Disney, Songtime or Wicked, you will be happy and there's something in there for everyone.

"Hopefully there are a few tunes you will go away humming."

But for those hoping for a glimpse of Captain Jack Harkness himself, the star will only appear as a cardboard cut-out.

Stalking John Barrowman will be at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, until 31 August. Watch a video clip in which Patrick and Jude talk about the show during a rehearsal workshop.

Kelvin has played the role more than 100 times in theatres across the globe, so the mad monarch is a part very close to his heart.

I spoke to him as the company prepares to continue their touring production with dates in Aberystwyth, Mold and Buxton.

He said: "I think over the years I have really come to appreciate the depth of the piece. When I first came upon Eight Songs I thought it was a wonderful expressionist piece but now I see the many layers of it.

"There's such sadness to it, because at times King George is entirely deluded and then there are moments when he suddenly realises what is going on and his real mental state and that is very poignant.

"Over the years I have had many people come up to me after performances to tell me how it has affected them. I think it definitely touches a nerve and is quite harrowing in places."

Peter Maxwell Davies, known affectionately in the industry as Max, really captured the public's imagination with the opera when it was first staged.

And as he played a pivotal role in the genesis of Music Theatre Wales and is now its patron, they felt it a fitting tribute to re-stage the production as part of their birthday celebrations.

It draws on actual historic court records and references stories of the king singing extracts of The Messiah, speaking gibberish very quickly and teaching his pet birds to sing.

For a singer it is a demanding piece as it takes a lot of risks vocally, veering from the extreme high to the extreme low ends of each range and even involves screaming.

Kelvin added: "I think Max wants people to feel sympathy for the king and that's always been the key for me in playing him. Although it is funny at times, it's not about poking fun at somebody with dementia; it's exploring a condition as it takes hold of him.

"It's not a big set production but more about the inner workings of his mind so it does require a level of intensity as a performer. I do always feel like I have exerted myself afterwards!"

Eight Songs will be performed alongside Vasco Mendonça's compelling new staging of Samuel Beckett's monologue Ping.

Portuguese composer, Vasco Mendonça describes Ping as "a multi-media fantasy for voice, video and performers". The work combines live performance with an electronic score and a video created by film maker Sandro Aguilar.

Eight Songs director Michael McCarthy will give a pre-show talk at all venues an hour before the performance begins.

It is showing at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 17 April and at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold on 18 April, and will show again at the Buxton Opera House as part of their festival in July.

For more information go to the Music Theatre Wales website.

It features a live band and is based on Wright's own memories of growing up as a mixed race rude boy in Cardiff at a time when, like now, the economy was in turmoil and unemployment was on the rise.

The story focuses on the central character Roddy, a mixed race 47-year-old who is remembering his youth and how music guided him at that time.

But it also has a political context, in the way it examines the era's tensions between British-born black and Asian youth and their immigrant parents.

Director James Williams and producer John Norton decided they had no choice but to revive the production after an extra show, put on to cope with demand last time, sold out in just hours.

And with a film adaptation currently in pre-production with Welsh company Barefoot Rascals, and talks underway to possibly take the show to larger theatrical venues, it is obvious there is something exciting about Rude that captures the attention.

Williams told me: "It's kind of a love song to Cardiff and people seem to have really picked up on that. The response during the first run was so fantastic we had to take the opportunity to do it again.

"People really love ska music and this production is like an intimate gig in a restaurant. Last time we had regulars come in who would never normally go to the theatre but they stood at the bar and watched the show and said 'They're talking about me there'."

With a century of multicultural experience behind them, working class communities of Cardiff may have suffered less racial tension than other cities in the 1960s and 1970s.

But speaking about the show the first time it was staged, Wright acknowledged the role that the Two Tone scene played in bringing black, white and mixed race youth even closer together.

"There was a subculture in Cardiff - rude boys, skinheads and mods," he recalls.

"At the time I was mainly into reggae, a bit of a Rasta, and so were my friends - we were all unemployed.

"There was a gang of white guys and suddenly we heard these new tunes coming out, and they kind of united people.

"Two Tone - says it all. Everyone was just together - it was a good time."

The music featured in Rude encompasses everything from The Specials to 1960s traditional ska and is played by a six piece live band featuring Oliver Wood as singer.

The cast has been slightly changed since last time and includes Shekira Johnson, John Norton and Dean Rehman. Watch a trailer for the production.

Norton, who is also the producer, said: "It's been really nice to revive the show as often you put so much work into just nine or 10 performances and then that work can be lost, whereas this has given us the opportunity to bring it back. I think we've improved it too.

"It's exciting also that we are in pre-production for a film. One of the directors of Barefoot Rascals saw the show twice last time. It struck a chord with him and he said he would really like to see a film version of it."

Rude runs between 24 October and 3 November (excluding 27 and 28 October). Tickets are available from Chapter's Box Office on 029 2030 4400 or chapter.org. Performances start at 8pm at the Rockin' Chair Caribbean Restaurant in Riverside.

The Village Social cast members: Gwydion Rhys, Darren Lawrence, Rebecca Harries, Oliver Wood, Carys Eleri and Sue Roderick. Image: Warren Orchard/National Theatre Wales

BBC Radio Wales reporter Huw Thomas has been behind the scenes at rehearsals for the production, which enjoys its first show in Rudry, Caerphilly tonight. In his piece, which was broadcast on Good Morning Wales earlier today, Huw speaks to Dafydd James, the co-creator and musical director, who explains a little about the production and actor Darren Lawrence, who says that touring small venues is crucial in attracting new theatre audiences.

Creators of The Village Social, Ben Lewis and Dafydd James. Image: Warren Orchard/National Theatre Wales

Huw also speaks to Catherine Paskell who speaks about working with youngsters from Valley Kids, just one of the groups of young people who will be working with the theatre as part of the production in each of the tour locations.

Take a listen to the piece:

The Village Social tours Wales throughout October and November 2011. Find out more about the production, and see where it's being performed near you, on the National Theatre Wales website.

You can also hear more about it on the Radio Wales Arts Show next Wednesday at 7 o'clock.

Photos of Connie Fisher in Portmeirion, and performing with Russell Grant

If you missed the first episode, in which Connie journeyed from Cardiff to Treorchy and sang at the Millennium Stadium, met Max Boyce and rehearsed with the Cory Brass Band, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Connie Fisher during filming of Connie's Musical Map of Wales

Connie said of the programme, "I met such a variety of colourful characters on my journey across Wales.

"Talent is pouring out of Wales and I caught up with a great mix of current Welsh musicians - I even conducted the Cory Brass Band and attempted to play the trombone!"

Connie puts her feet up in a theatre

Watch Connie's Musical Map of Wales on Monday 8 August at 7.30pm on BBC One Wales. If you miss it, catch up on BBC iPlayer for the seven days after transmission.

Sophie Evans in BBC One entertainment show Over The Rainbow

A Night At The Musicals on Sunday 18 July is part of the Everyman Theatre Summer Festival programme of events, and is in aid of The Elizabeth Evans Trust.

The trust, formed following the death of theatrical director and youth opera opatron Elizabeth Evans, awards scholarships to young people who wish to pursue a professional career in the performing arts.

Stars lined up for the open-air concert include Evans and another former contestant of a BBC One show, Sarah Lark. Cardiff-born Lark took part in I'd Do Anything in 2008, in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's quest to find a Nancy for his production of Oliver!

Sarah Lark in BBC show I'd Do Anything

She has most recently starred in Cameron Mackintosh's revival production of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London as part of the ensemble.

Carmarthen-born classical star Mark Evans is also set to appear, along with Christopher Jacobsen and Karen Evans.

For more information on the concert visit the The Elizabeth Evans Trust website.

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Zeta Jones made her début Broadway appearance in the role of Desiree Armfeldt in the Stephen Sondheim musical last year, and she beat fellow actors Kate Baldwin, Montego Glover, Christiane Noll and Sherie Rene Scott to the prestigious award at the ceremony in New York last night.

Zeta Jones heads a list of Welsh names to receive accolades in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, which also includes musicians John Cale (OBE) and Karl Jenkins (CBE), former Wales football captain Gary Speed and Groggs creater John Hughes, both of whom receive MBEs.

Read more on the story on the BBC Wales News website and browse our Catherine Zeta Jones site on BBC Wales Arts.

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The leading lady for Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of The Wizard Of Oz will be found this coming weekend in the dramatic climax. The three Dorothys will face the public vote in Saturday's show as viewers alone decide who takes on the coveted role.

Tune in to BBC One Wales on Saturday 22 May from 7pm for the grand final, and find out more about musical theatre on the BBC Wales Arts website.

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Participants at the Over The Rainbow event in St David's Hall, Cardiff.

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Zeta Jones played Desiree Armfeldt and starred alongside Alexander Hanson and Angela Lansbury in the Broadway production. She will contest the prestigious award with Kate Baldwin (Finian's Rainbow), Sherie Rene Scott (Everyday Rapture), Montego Glover (Memphis) and Christiane Noll (Ragtime).

Read more on the story on the BBC News website.

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Now, fair play, many other performers with over 20 years' experience might have thought themselves too grand to do that!

You can hear the complete interview with Michael on the Radio Wales Arts Show on Thursday 25 March.