The Return

A Play by Ala’a Al Qaisi

Tickets
Tickets
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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, water and skies of Canterbury-Bankstown, the Darug People. We recognise and respect Darug cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge the First Peoples’ continuing importance to our Canterbury-Bankstown community.

About The Return Project…

The Return Project — Mission Statement

The Return Project is a Palestinian-led arts and community initiative that uses theatre, film, storytelling and creative expression as forms of cultural resistance, healing and human connection.

Our mission is to amplify Palestinian voices, reclaim narratives, and share stories of identity, displacement, resilience, faith and belonging with Australian and international audiences. Through powerful artistic experiences, we challenge dehumanisation, inspire empathy, foster dialogue, and build bridges between cultures through our shared humanity.

Beyond the stage and screen, The Return Project is committed to transforming art into meaningful action. We support community-led initiatives that contribute to the wellbeing, education and psychosocial healing of children and communities affected by war, displacement and trauma, particularly in Gaza.

We believe art is more than a form of expression; it is a means of resistance, remembrance, healing and hope. By creating spaces for Palestinian stories to be heard and human experiences to be shared, we strive to preserve cultural identity, strengthen solidarity, and contribute to a more just, compassionate and connected world.

About The Return Play

Based on the true story of Marwan Abu Samra, a father from Gaza who lost his daughters, Rozan and Nagham, to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, The Return is a powerful theatrical experience written and directed by Ala’a Al Qaisi. Blending poetry, magical realism, spirituality and visual storytelling, the play follows a grieving father on a surreal journey between the living and the dead, dreams and reality, exploring grief, faith, patience and the enduring power of love. Rooted in Palestinian experience and Islamic spirituality, it confronts the devastating cost of violence while celebrating the resilience of the Palestinian people.

Support our work

Our Partners

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Supporting Partners

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PYT Fairfield logo with a yellow background behind 'pyt' and black text 'fairfield' on a black background.

Venue Partners

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Marketing Partners

Vendor

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  • "Tender, searching and remarkably generous. In a word, extraordinary.

    Ellen m. Scott, Melbourne Stage Review

  • “A remarkable production based on an outstanding script.”

    Geoffrey Sykes, Theatre Maker, Critic, and Media & Communications Academic

  • "An intimate performance that makes you feel part of the show, pulls on the heartstrings, and leaves a lasting impression.”

    Robert Martin, renowned activist and 2025 Gaza Flotilla participant

  • “The Return is an important and desperately needed voice for our times.”

    Geoffrey Sykes, Theatre Maker, Critic,  and Media & Communications Academic

  • "The Return is one of the most important pieces of theatre to come out of the current moment. It is not comfortable, and it is not trying to be. This moving work resonates with the costs of what it is to remain human."

    —Dr Iqbal Barkat Senior Lecturer in Screen Production Macquarie University

  • “A devastating and tender piece of writing.”

    Dr Samah Sabawi, award-winning author, playwright and poet.

  • “A poetic triumph – elegant, articulate and quotable.”

    Geoffrey Sykes, Theatre Maker, Critic, and Media & Communications Academic

  • “It’s the kind of theatre that unsettles, moves, and refuses to be forgotten.”

    Larissa Dulat, copywriter

  • “A beautiful, ethereal piece of theatre, dreamlike and haunting, born from the unbearable reality of the genocide in Gaza.”

    Paz Roman, Refugee Torture and Trauma Counsellor and Project Officer.

  • “It is in its own way already a classic.”

    Geoffrey Sykes, Theatre Maker, Critic,  and Media & Communications Academic

  • "The Return reaches for the humanity that generations of fear and violence so often obscures. Ala’a Al Qaisi’s courageous appeal to find our way beyond them and towards one another is, in a word, extraordinary."

    Ellen M. Scott, Melbourne Stage Review