The Return/Y Dychweliad

A re-imagining of a WW1 Victory Ball held at Oakdale Workmen’s Institute for returning veterans in 1919.

The Return / Y Dychweliad was an immersive bilingual life story theatre performance, bringing together around 30 people — ex-service personnel, their families, community members, and actors — to reimagine this moment in history.

While rooted in the historical event, the performance also wove in the lived experiences of contemporary veterans, allowing past and present to sit alongside one another.

Originally erected in Oakdale, Caerphilly in 1917 and now located at St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff, the Institute became both setting and storyteller, holding the echoes of the past alongside the voices of those performing.

Three performances took place on 14th, 15th and 16th March 2019, marking the centenary of the original Victory Ball.

Audience members were invited into the world of the ball — not simply watching, but stepping into it. As one person reflected:
“Such moving performances. I felt like I was back in 1919. We were part of it.”