A theatre in Swansea has been named after the city’s daily newspaper after it played a big part in bringing a new musical to the stage.

The South Wales Evening Post Theatre opened its doors last month in Swansea Urban Village, part of the city’s £25-million high street development.

It came about after renowned Welsh composer and broadcaster Mal Pope, who has previously worked with Sir Elton John, Cliff Richard and Aled Jones, sought backing for his latest show, The Cappuccino Girls, from local businesses.

Said Mal: “It’s been the biggest job of my life – I have had no help with the funding, no public money at all.”

“The first company I approached was the South Wales Evening Post, and they got on board straight away.  They really helped open the doors because the brand is so strong and people then had confidence in my brand.”

The Evening Post, Wales’ largest-selling newspaper realised that the impact of just having their name on a poster was not enough, but saw an opportunity in the naming rights of the theatre itself.

South West Wales Media managing director Blanche Sainsbury said: “It is important for us as the local media to help champion our communities aspirations – this was an opportunity to help Mal achieve his ambition for the city and we are delighted to have a brand so powerful that Mal named his theatre The South Wales Evening Post Theatre.”