Dyffryn Ardudwy and Talybont Village Hall stage came to life once again on Friday, 23 January, when it hosted its first live performance for years.

The hall was filled with an eager audience, pleased to have the opportunity to attend a stage performance so close to home.

They were not disappointed. West by Owen Thomas delivered laughs, emotion, and a real sense of occasion, reminding everyone just how powerful live performance can be in bringing a community together.

Applause echoed around the hall, and the audience was thoroughly entertained and uplifted.

Following the performance, a post-show chat with playwright Owen Thomas and actors Gareth J Bale and Gwenllian Higginson proved popular. The audience enjoyed learning more about the creative process, and a few entertaining behind-the-scenes insights, rounding off the evening on a particularly high note.

Of course, no village hall show would be complete without a little off-stage drama. Just an hour before the show, the masking curtain made a dramatic exit of its own and dropped to the floor. This prompted a moment of panic and nervous laughter from the hall committee, as they discovered the clips had snapped and a previous “crafty” solution had simply rested the rail on top of the fittings. Thankfully the crisis was short-lived. In true farmer fashion, the team grabbed whatever was close at hand and set about a temporary repair. The first aid kit was repurposed with bandages providing an inspired quick fix. When confidence in knot-tying wavered, they turned to a farmer’s next best friend after baler twine - cable ties. Problem solved.

The curtain went up on time, proving that a little teamwork (and a few cable ties) can fix almost anything!

The Village Hall Trustees were blown away by the support for the performance and have confirmed that more events are on the way.