THEATR IOLO has announced ‘Annwn’, a new episodic audio fantasy adventure written by acclaimed playwright Gary Owen, launching at Tafwyl Festival on June 21, 2026 via the Theatr Iolo Podcast feed.
Created specifically for pre-teens aged 9–12 and second language Welsh speakers, Annwn is a gripping, contemporary fantasy rooted in Welsh mythology and told through an immersive audio format.
Mia lives in Cardiff with her free-spirited mum. After lockdown ends, they move to a remote caravan in West Wales in search of peace. But soon find strange sounds and figures appear in the surrounding forests at night.
Mia soon discovers they are caught between two factions of the mythical Tylwyth Teg, who are divided between the dreamworld of Annwn and a damaged Earth. When Mia is drawn into Annwn, she must decide whether to stay in a perfect world or return home and face reality, danger and chaos.
Glesni Price-Jones, Theatr Iolo Producer, said: “Annwn is a bold and imaginative audio drama that brings fantasy into a contemporary world young audiences can really connect with.
“It has been a joy to develop a story that is accessible to teenagers in Welsh medium education while still rich in atmosphere, tension and adventure.
“We are thrilled to be launching it at Tafwyl before releasing it widely for families and young people to enjoy.”
A thrilling story of survival, identity and belonging, Annwn blends Welsh fantasy with contemporary life to create an accessible and exciting audio experience for both fluent speakers and Welsh learners.
Writer Gary Owen said: “I decided I would try and write a story for children who speak Welsh as a second language.
“I’d try and write in a fairly simple, conversational Welsh that reflected the kind of Welsh I heard my children and their friends speaking. So hopefully I’d come up with a story second language children would understand relatively easily.
“But while the language would be simple, there’d be enough grit in the story that it wouldn’t come across as childish to older children.”
The free podcast will be released weekly beginning June 21 after Tafwyl festival in Cardiff (also on June 21) , where Seren Hamilton who plays Mia will do a live reading and writer Gary Owen and Branwen Davies will be discussing the Podcast.
Downloads will be available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other podcast platforms via the Theatr Iolo podcast feed
Theatr Iolo Artistic Director & Chief Executive Lee Lyford said: “We are thrilled to present this new digital audio work by master playwright Gary Owen.
“It demonstrates our commitment to the Welsh language and young people, whatever stage of their learning journey; and our commitment to the power of storytelling in many forms.
“Especially written for this digital audio format, Annwn can reach many ears not only in Wales but beyond, to Welsh speakers everywhere.”
