Haunts

Synopsis

It’s 2006 in a small North Wales town, and 16-year-old Morgan stands on the edge of his future. He guides us through familiar haunts, late-night hangouts and moments that linger long after the last bus leaves. With Tony Blair as Prime Minister and social media just beginning to take hold, Morgan searches for where he belongs in a fast-changing world, navigating friendship, identity and the uncertainty of growing u

Statement

Ôl began with thinking about the strange, unremarkable places teenagers end up spending time — bus stops, walls outside corner shops, outdoor hangouts that don’t really belong to anyone. These spaces are easy to overlook, but they quietly hold so much: boredom, friendship, first heartbreaks, and the feeling of wanting something more. The experience is rooted in rural North Wales and in teenage life in the noughties — pre-smartphones, just as social media was beginning. Growing up in a remote Welsh community shaped how nights out, parties and friendships unfolded, and how far you had to travel to find yourself. Told in both Welsh and English, Ôl reflects the cultural and linguistic reality of this landscape. We follow Morgan, a queer teenager trying to find their way to friends, to parties, and ultimately to themselves.

Credits

Director

Lucy Hammond, Tomos Chetwode-Barton

Production

Wales Millennium Centre (David Massey), Pilot Theatre (Lucy Hammond), Dreaming Methods (Judi Alston, Andy Campbell), National Library of Wales

Running Time

15'

Language

Welsh, English

Country

Wales (United Kingdom)

Main Cast

Steffan Donnelly, Callum Scott Howells

Screenplay

Tomos Chetwode-Barton

Sound

Ty Cerdd Studios (Matt Collins), Dreaming Methods (Dean Hinchliffe)

Lead developers

Andy Campbell, Judi Alston