Theatre: The Return by Ala'a Al Qaisi

Next date: Tuesday, 22 September 2026 | 06:30 PM to 08:30 PM

The Return is a play by award-winning Palestinian Australian writer and director Ala’a Al Qaisi.

Part dream, part revelation, The Return is a haunting and visually stunning theatrical experience that transports audiences beyond the limits of time and space. Through magical realism, poetry, music, and powerful storytelling, the play invites us into a world where the dead speak, the living awaken, and even the deepest wounds become a doorway to transformation.

The Return is inspired by martyred Palestinian sisters Nagham and Rozan Abu Samra, who were killed by an Israeli strike on Gaza in 2024. Nagham was a karate champion who would have represented Palestine at the Olympic Games. The play is dedicated to their father Marwan who lives on to share their legacy, and to all the beautiful souls whose lights were extinguished far too soon in the Gaza genocide.

Both intimate and epic, heartbreaking and unexpectedly humorous, The Return is an unforgettable journey into the heart of grief, resilience, forgiveness, and hope.