FIRST FORTNIGHT FESTIVAL

1 – 5 Jan

Stephen Mullan: Son of a Preacher Man

Lisa Richards

From the church to the psych ward, Stephen’s life started with Jesus and almost ended with the Tellytubbies. Childhood Sundays were for watching Dad deliver sermons and Mam lead evangelical worship time, but how was he going to survive being so uncool in ’90s small-town Ireland?

FIRST FORTNIGHT FESTIVAL

2 – 5 Jan

Sally Denver Matthews

Gilly O’Shea

Sally Denver Matthews, our favourite Sleep Deprived Mother, is back!

This time she wants new parents to hear her story without having to book a babysitter, so she’s saying: B.Y.O.B. – Bring Your Own Baby – to the ‘Mammy Matinees’. Your baby can cry and make as much noise as (s)he wants – no one will tut or glare at you! Dads/guardians are welcome too – ‘Daddy Matinees’ just didn’t have the same ring to it!

No baby? No problem! Come to an evening show instead!

FIRST FORTNIGHT FESTIVAL

7 – 12 Jan

Nothing But A Toerag

Taking the Biscuit

Nothing But A Toerag is a dark comedy about dealing with your demons and the effects of suppressing trauma. We meet two women locked away in a cell and a tense drama unfolds. Watch as two alpha females struggle for dominance in the confines of their shared space.

FIRST FORTNIGHT FESTIVAL

8 – 12 Jan

i n f i n i t y

Eoghan Carrick + Nessa Matthews

Captain’s Log, Stardate (whatever). A lone astronaut hurtles through the cosmos on a one-way mission to the edge of the universe. She’s looking for a light in the dark. The source of a signal. Traversing time and space, isolation and uncertainty, her quest to find hope will bring her to the brink of the abyss. An exploration of fact, (science) fiction and the spaces in between. A star-bound journey that looks at the stories we tell ourselves when we feel most alone.

FIRST FORTNIGHT FESTIVAL

11 Jan

Blue Devils

Fleet of Feet – Stella Godmet

In 1943, after being diagnosed as schizophrenic, Rose Williams, Tennessee Williams’ sister, underwent a prefrontal lobotomy which left her mentally incapacitated. Williams was very close to his sister and this trauma left its mark on the man and on the writer. Shades of Rose can be found in many of Williams’ female characters. Blanche, Zelda, Serafina and Catherine are strong, unconventional women that normative society tries to ground down. In the plays that feature these heroines, Tennessee Williams questions society’s treatment of women who don’t fit into the mold. Inspired by his writings, this

piece will take the audience into the imagined private world of thses characters, into the unwritten.

THEATRE

14 – 19 Jan

Personal Space Volume 2

Colfer Mamalis McGann

After last year’s sell-out inaugural show Personal Space, an anthology of the dark, weird and deeply funny – co-writer/performers Stephen Colfer, Hannah Mamalis and Peter McGann return with three completely new short comedy scripts. Personal Space Vol II tells three more stories of the worst people in the worst situations. And then there’s a twist.

OPERA

18 + 19 Jan

Baroque Opera Double Bill

DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama

DIDO AND AENEAS (Purcell) & IL COMBATTIMENTO DI TANCREDI E CLORINDA (Monteverdi)

Purcell’s much-loved masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas, recounts the love of Dido, Queen of Carthage, for the Trojan hero Aeneas, and her despair when he abandons her. The opera is full of magnificent music including Dido’s Lament, one of the most beautiful and tragic arias ever written. This is coupled with a rare opportunity to see Claudio Monteverdi’s Combat between Tancredi and Clorinda, a romance set against the backdrop of the First Crusade.

TALK

20 Jan

Balding Made Me Do It

Clare Fullam

Claire lost her hair in front of the nation and miraculously grew it back again. A story of struggle, perseverance and the art of learning how to be yourself. Basically a live Insta with Claire Balding! All questions answered, no holding back. An evening of fun, lol’s and uplifting, meaningful chats!

Check out Claire on Instagram, facebook or on Snapchat: Claire.Balding.

THEATRE

22 – 26 Jan

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

No Drama Theatre

A classic story of good versus evil, law versus the gun, one man versus Liberty Valance. A tale of love, hope, and revenge set against the vicious backdrop of a lawless society.

A young scholar from New York travels west in search of a new life. He arrives beaten and half-dead on the dusty streets of Twotrees. Rescued from the plains, the town soon becomes his home as he finds the love of a local woman.

THEATRE

23 – 26 Jan

The First Protestant

Splódar

A gripping psychological drama with moments of intensity and also unexpected comedy. The First Protestant presents a tense duel between Martin Luther and the shadowy figure of the Analyst, and through it the life and struggles of Luther, the monk who defied the Catholic church with profound repercussions for Christendom. The play probes the far-reaching influence of Luther’s thinking on such leaders as Bismark and Hitler and also finds echoes in current events such as a European banking collapse and threats to global peace.

THEATRE

28 Jan – 2 Feb

So Where Do We Begin?

Sugar Coat Theatre

Psychotherapist Dave has fallen out of love: with his job, with his wife, with everything. But then he is visited by a new patient – a woman claiming she can steal people’s memories – and he is seduced by her story. With the help of his colleague Julieann, Dave begins to unravel the mystery before him.

THEATRE

31 Jan – 1 Feb

One Love

Blue Diamond Theatre

One Love is a joyous exploration of friendship, what it’s like to be in love and have a learning disability. Paul and Orla are engaged and making plans for their future. One Love charts their journey towards their big day. Blue Diamond Drama Academy is a new initiative which is providing a 2 year drama training for talented adult performers with a learning disability.

THEATRE

4 + 5 Feb

Fond Pageant

Roomkeepers Productions

An illustrated, poetic, theatrical meditation celebrating the healing and redemptive powers of art. Written and performed by Daniel Reardon. The show is based on Fond Pageant, the author’s book of poems published in 2018.

THEATRE

5 – 9 Feb

Kracked

JADE

Uncle Tony overdosed last month and has left the future of the family business resting on Sharon’s shoulders. Will Kit-Kats and cocaine be her saving grace or will a frantic ex, fifty debts and a recent death in the family cause her to finally crack? Kracked is the comic peek inside the mind of a young woman coping with the lows and highs (literally!) of life as a newfound business woman.

COMEDY

6 Feb

Gearoid Farrelly Home Truths

Lisa Richards

Gearóid Farrelly brings his brand of chatty stand up comedy on tour, addressing everything from Trump to decluttering and explaining why you shouldn’t toilet train a cat!

THEATRE

8 + 9 Feb

Thirteen Steps To The Attic

MayDay Creates / Michelle Cahill

Versatile performer Michelle Cahill presents her first solo work; a multi layered montage of movement and text performed with a live sound-score and recorded tracks from the eclectic band Thieves of Silence.

In an attic, in a house, with only letters for company, a woman takes a precarious step into the vibrancy of her imagination. Exploring intimacy between Him and Her, connected by words on a page and interspersed with moments of tenderness and humour, Thirteen Steps to the Attic

evokes the ephemeral nature of the past and memory, exploring the known, the unknown, and the invisible desire that was unquestionably real.

SCENE AND HEARD FESTIVAL

13 Feb – 2 Mar

Scene and Heard Festival 2019

Scene and Heard

Scene and Heard Festival is a platform for work that is in development. We provide a safe environment with feedback and encouragement to support artists to make new work within the arts.

The 2019 programme can be found here.

THEATRE

4 – 9 Mar

Port Authority

Decadent Theatre

A young boy leaves home for the first time, a man begins a job for which he is not qualified, a pensioner receives a mysterious package. As each man confronts the significance of these events, they are forced to take stock of themselves, their feelings, and of the decisions they have made.

Painting a vivid picture of life in contemporary Dublin, award-winning playwright Conor McPherson (Seafarer, The Weir and Shining City) weaves together a moving and funny tale of loves lost and found, the consequences of big dreams and the significance of even our smallest choices.

Port Authority is a play for anyone who has ever chosen the rational over the risky, who has ever drawn away from the possibility of brilliance, being left to wonder what might have been.

THEATRE

4 – 9 Mar

Call Mr. Robeson

Tayo Aluko & Friends

A rollercoaster journey through African-American actor and singer Paul Robeson’s remarkable life, highlighting his pioneering and heroic political activism. Features Ol’ Man River and other famous songs, much fiery oratory, and a defiant testimony to the House Un-American Activities Committee.

THEATRE

11 – 16 Mar

Just an Ordinary Lawyer

Tayo Aluko & Friends

He is Britain’s first Black judge, a fine singer, and keen cricket lover. Finding himself stranded in the Heart of Empire, Nigerian Tunji Sowande muses on Black liberation struggles worldwide. He insists he is no political aficionado, but is content to contribute through his music and songs.

MUSIC / DANCE

15 Mar

Terra Firmish

Sean Mac Erlaine

Terra Firmish is a new musical work commissioned by St Patrick’s Festival, written by Seán Mac Erlaine for dance, harp, clarinet, marimba, percussion, and electronics. The piece is inspired by the history of Teampall Caomhán, a tenth century church on Inis Oírr. For hundreds of years this small church was continuously excavated by its community as it sank deeper into the sandy island. Today it has been secured with brickwork but it is significantly lower than its immediate surrounding landscape.

Terra Firmish is a poetic interpretation of this story drawing on the contemporary dance of Emma O’Kane and visual design of Michelle Browne within Mac Erlaine’s score which is part elegy and part playful commentary on the increasing absurdity and inevitability of the situation.

THEATRE

18 – 23 Mar

Fallen Angels

Blacklight Productions

It’s London, 1926. And two “wretchedly happily married” women are about to have their lives turned upside down by the return of their former French lover. Buckle up.

THEATRE

18 – 23 Mar

Electric

ILA Productions

Baby wipes, glitter and cans at the ready, Joni and Scarlett head off on their respective weekends. From two walks of life and residing on two sides of the festival, the pair unexpectedly meet in the neon fields of Electric Picnic. Hysterically riotous and soul-stirring, ELECTRIC probes our innate prejudices and preconceived notions of who we are while taking you on the session of a lifetime!

THEATRE

27 – 30 Mar

Love and Information

Inchicore College of Further Education

Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information is a play addressing contemporary issues about knowledge, technology and communication, and our capacity for love. It was first performed at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, London, on 6 September 2012.

THEATRE

29 Mar

In The Window

Nuala McKeever

Life hasn’t turned out the way Margaret dreamed. She’s lonely as hell, in a house that won’t sell, with no kids, no husband and a job that’s deathly boring. So tonight, she’s got a date with a bottle of pink fizz and a bowl of pink pills and she’s going to go out in style.

EXHIBITION / MUSIC

30 Mar

Continuum

Barry Kerr

A unique exhibition of paintings and songs by Barry Kerr, performed by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Pauline Scanlon, Niall Hanna, Síle Denvir, Niamh Dunne and Seán Óg Graham.

TALK

31 Mar

Balding Made Me Do It

Clare Fullam

Claire lost her hair in front of the nation and miraculously grew it back again. A story of struggle, perseverance and the art of learning how to be yourself. Basically a live Insta with Claire Balding! All questions answered, no holding back. An evening of fun, lol’s and uplifting, meaningful chats!

Check out Claire on Instagram, facebook or on Snapchat: Claire.Balding.

MUSIC

5 Apr

Experience Japan 10th Anniversary

Experience Japan

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Experience Japan Hanami Festival, a special concert will be held on Friday 5th April. Four champion Japanese performers including Hiro Hayashida (former Kodo member and global award-winning Taiko Master), joined by Miyu Kobayashi (Shinobue & Taiko), Luke Hayashida (Taiko) and for this special event, Hibiki Sawada on Shamisen.

MUSIC / STORYTELLING

6 Apr

Otherworld: The Story of Tír na nNóg

The Lalala Choir & Ríona Sally Hartman

A show for all ages; come and hear about the adventures of Óisín and Níamh, and their journey away from Ireland to the Land of Eternal Youth.

THEATRE

8 – 13 Apr

48

No Desserts

The new, lionhearted and savagely funny 48 by Dublin playwright Gemma Kane, captures the pulsating youth of 1980s Dublin on the brink of irreparable social change through sharp-tongued narrative and visceral movement. Set to the backdrop of a haunting, 80s inspired soundscape by composer Dylan Tonge Jones.

MUSIC

10 – 13 Apr

Music Current 2019

Dublin Sound Lab present Music Current 2019, a four-day contemporary music festival from April 10-13. Featuring a range of concerts, discussions, and talks focused on new Irish and international electronic music. Including performances by Ensemble Tzara, Retro Disco, and featured works by Frank Corcoran, Karen Power, and others.

THEATRE

16 Apr – 4 May

The Seamster’s Daughter

Glass Mask Theatre

After the success of Glass Mask Theatre’s debut production Idlewild by Jimmy Murphy, Smock Alley’s company-in-residence invites you back to the Boys’ School for Jimmy’s latest play, The Seamster’s Daughter.

Megan always dreamt of meeting her birth father, but after discovering she was conceived through rape she sets out in search of a monster. Through Megan’s story, Glass Mask presents a challenging and conflicting drama that looks at consent, choice and the right to life.

IMRPOV COMEDY

19 – 20 Apr

Fur City

Shaffey

Fur City is an improvised soap opera… with puppets! Completely made up on the spot based on suggestions from the audience, this hilarious soap parody features some of Ireland’s most talented comedy performers and improvisers, and a cast of puppet pals.

THEATRE

22 – 27 Apr

Spotless

Rise Productions and Then This Theatre, in association with Smock Alley, The Civic, and Everyman

Forty-something Genevieve has downsized from an affluent suburb and struggles with life in her new home backing onto a grim block of flats. Jenny, a leaving cert student who lives in the flats, wants a way out. While Genevieve clings to her last chance of having children, Jenny avoids unwanted attention from the opposite sex.

MUSICAL THEATRE

2 – 4 May

A Chorus Line

American College Dublin

Ireland’s premiere musical theatre degree students present the quintessential backstage musical.

THEATRE

6 – 11 May

Writers In The Stars

Glorious Shambles Productions

We have lost many great writers over the years. Where are they now? Do they come to life every time you read one of their stories or plays? Are they in the hearts of the children studying them for exams?

No.

They’re in heaven arguing over who is the greatest… obviously!

Join Oscar Wilde, Mary Shelley and their… “friends” as they ask you, the audience, to help them decide who is truly the greatest writer of all time.

THEATRE

9 May

From The Plains – The Story of John Devoy

Fia Rua + Glorious Shambles Productions

Actor, writer and musician Fia Rua (Eoghan Burke) presents his one hour show on the life of renowned exiled Fenian, John Devoy (1842-1928). The show covers a remarkable life, from post famine Ireland to his hugely significant exiled years in New York.

COMEDY

11 May

Sight Unseen – The Future of Irish Theatre

Auto-Correbt

Auto-Correbt have set themselves the challenge of performing all the best new plays that are coming to Irish theatres in 2019.
The only problem is that these don’t exist yet.

THEATRE

12 May

Pumpgirl

Decadent Theatre

There’s one in every town, and they call her the Pumpgirl.
She works in the garage, changes the oil and thinks she’s one of the lads.
She’s sweet on ‘No-Helmet’ Hammy, but he loves no one but himself.
He’s out all night with his racing boys, whilst wife Sinead’s off on a joyride of her own, with an ache that’s about to be cured.

FESTIVAL

18 – 26 May

International Literature Festival Dublin

ILFD

The International Literature Festival Dublin, founded in 1998, is Ireland’s premier literary event and gathers the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke, delight and enthral. Described by the press as ‘boasting a stunning array of top international literary talent’ and ‘the country’s most successful and easily the best annual literary event’, The International Literature Festival Dublin line-up is sure to impress.

BEALTAINE FESTIVAL

28 May

Abair / Samaa

Bealtaine Festival, an Age & Opportunity Arts Initiative

Abair / Samaa is a newly commissioned work by Bealtaine Festival. The piece is an intercultural choral performance by musical director Eimear Crehan singer songwriter Farah Elle and theatre maker Rachel Bergin. Inspired by the festival’s theme of Welcome and Hosting, Kilcock Men’s Shed Choir and Libyan singer Farah Elle come together to perform traditional sounds from Ireland and North Africa. Through the common language of music Abair/Samaa

(Speak/Listen) explores the connected themes of tradition, identity, otherness and emigration. Musical performances are intercut with moments of personal and historical reflections across generations, cultures and genders.

THEATRE

30 + 31 May

Walkinstown

Monkey Backstage

From the creators of the acclaimed How To Build Your First Robot comes Walkinstown. A surreal soiree that traverses the streets of Dublin’s past, present and future. Two humans on a comedically cosmic trajectory, led by love, lust and all that’s elementary.

MUSIC

9 Jun

From The Blue

Brian Horgan

Having performed sell out shows in the Sugar Club, The Peacock Theatre and in the New York Foundation for the Arts, Brian is bringing a new show to Smock Alley. Featuring Brian’s original songs; From the Blue is a warm, funny and intimate, New York style cabaret that celebrates navigating life’s lessons. With four world class musicians and joined by special guest, West End Singer Róisin Sullivan, it’s a show not to be missed.

THEATRE

10 + 11, 13 – 15 Jun

My Heart and I: The Life and Loves of Josef Locke

nowRnever

A romp through the life and loves of Josef Locke. This two-man show brings you the fellow artists, agents and marriage partners of this working class hero, whose extraordinary voice soared over the bustle of showbiz wheeling and dealing as he clambered to the top of his profession, no matter what. His roller coaster career is marked by the songs he made famous; Goodbye, Hear My Song, La Donna é Mobile to name but a few.

The young tenor Shane McDonagh will once again mesmerise audiences with the astounding range and quality of his voice as Locke. John White, as well as accompanying, takes the roles of those who loved, hated, admired or were perplexed by one of the finest tenors of his generation.

COMEDY

16 – 22 Jun

Edinburgh Previews

Lisa Richards

The Lisa Richards agency present a week of top stand-up comedy! Each night, two comedians will perform their new work-in-progress shows. Check them out, for this bargain price, before they head to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

COMEDY

22 Jun

Asperger’s Are Us, LIVE!

Asperger’s Are Us

The stars of the HBO docu-series On Tour with Asperger’s Are Us perform a brand new live sketch comedy show for people who enjoy highly verbal absurdist humour.

THEATRE

24 – 29 Jun

Shakers

Waiting Tables Productions

Welcome to Shakers cocktail bar! It’s the place where everyone wants to be seen. From leery businessmen to supermarket cashiers to the local heart throb. We meet our four waitresses amongst the hustle and bustle of gossip and spilled cocktails as they navigate the claustrophobia and chaos of busy bar life. We’re given an insight into their lives, which is at times poignant and always dangerously funny.

THEATRE

25 – 29 Jun

Below Below

Gaiety School of Acting

What happens when everything you have is lost? A divided world, sometime in the not so distant future. A ceremony is happening in the woods. A celebration of a beginning. A celebration of love. You are invited, even if you are from the city. There are some rules though – no gifts, no phones. Only you.

THEATRE

1 – 6 Jul

The Last Corner Shop on Misery Hill

Polliwog Theatre Collective

The Last Corner Shop on Misery Hill is a dark comedy set in Dublin. It follows brothers Mick and Joey O’Reilly as they battle to keep their disastrous corner shop afloat in a world where the conglomerate edges ever closer. Things go from bad to worse for the brothers. What happens next is something that will change the course of the shop and their lives forever.

THEATRE

8 – 13 Jul

Demelza Eating Apples

Three Wise Women Theatre Co.

A little boy, who is three… almost four, loses his Dad. His big sister steps in to look after the family.

A funny and sad tale of love, caring, loss, tragedy and obsession.

THEATRE

9 – 13 Jul

Kate Crackernuts

No Drama Theatre

Kate’s sister Anne, a ravishing beauty, wakes up one morning to discover a sheep’s head on her shoulders instead of her own.
Thus begins the journey of the ever-practical Kate in her quest to return Anne to her former glory, a journey sidetracked by Kate’s obsession with saving a slim raver-boy from a nasty little addiction. Based loosely and lyrically on the Scottish fairy tale Kate Crackernuts.

THEATRE

16 – 21 Jul

These Stupid Things

White Label

Two doctors work to save lives by improving the decision-making of their colleagues. As they fall for each other and their professional and personal lives become intertwined, will their emotions cloud their reason and rationality?

These Stupid Things is a new piece of theatre about the thin line between logic and intuition that exists in our heads.

THEATRE

17 – 20 Jul

Unfit For Purpose

Grace Corry

Ronny has never felt worse. In a desperate effort to treat his depression, he turns to the last person he feels he can – his GP. Dr. Marianne Mc Cormack. A pillar of her community for many a year, Dr. Marianne is less than aware of how to approach such problems.

An irreverent, thought provoking dark comedy which will make you laugh when you might feel you shouldn’t. But we’re sniggering at depression, not with it.

THEATRE

23 – 27 Jul

The Kelly Company

Jack of All Trades Productions

Set against the back drop of the Wild West, The Kelly Company follows the story of the Kelly Brothers, James and Philip Kelly, Irish immigrants who head out west in search of fortune but soon find themselves embroiled in an epic tale of violence and betrayal that will put them in the cross hairs of legendary gunslingers, corrupt Pinkerton Detectives, scorned women, wild Natives and even each other.

THEATRE

23 Jul – 10 Aug

Waiting For Godot

…no alternative… in association with ETHOS

Vladimir and Estragon wait endlessly for the arrival of Godot, discussing religion, contemplating suicide and crotch rot in a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes and nonsense.

Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT is a tragicomedy masterpiece that reminds us of the beauty of language and our own existence, voted the “most significant English language play of the 20th century”.

THEATRE

12 – 31 Aug

The Roaring Banshees

The Devious Theatre Company

After a failed assassination attempt on Eamon de Valera, a rogue Cumann na mBan unit flee across the Atlantic to escape the law. With Prohibition in full swing, they earn their keep by making bootleg poitín and selling it on to the Chicago mob. But it’s not long before a gang war breaks out with them caught in the middle…

THEATRE

19 – 31 Aug

Bright Eyes

Little Shadow Theatre Co.

Bright Eyes is a dark comedy which follows four near-perfect strangers who are brought together through various circumstances and end up spending an alcohol-laced evening connecting with each other. They discover over the course of wine, whiskey and music that their meeting was not accidental and perhaps is far more sinister than they could have imagined.

MUSICAL THEATRE

5 – 7 Sep

Ordinary Days

The Rising Theatre Company

From one of musical theatre’s most exciting new composers comes ORDINARY DAYS, a refreshingly honest and funny musical about making real connections in the city that never sleeps (but probably should at some point).

FRINGE FESTIVAL

7 – 22 Sep

MOOP

Game Theatre

Five silent characters find increasingly hilarious and beautiful ways of playing with the strange (to them anyway) stuff that keeps appearing in their world.

A physical theatre performance about curiosity, play and getting un-bored, this is a show for anyone who’s ever found more than one use for a stick.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

7 – 10 Sep

Circus

Tara Brandel

Interrogate what makes an acceptable performer in contemporary Ireland, be it the ageing pole dancer, the migrant street dancer, or the non-normative body. Playful, intense, poignant, irreverent; immerse yourself in an exploration of the roles of masculinity, queerness, MeToo and gender in our rapidly changing society.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

9 – 15 Sep

Symphony of Worms

Hannah Mamalis

Hannah is an only child. She has an unsettling attraction to Hobbits, always misses the toilet with the toilet paper and is terrified of dying alone.
But what if she could reach out and experience a glimpse of life and death through her alternate selves in alternate dimensions?

FRINGE FESTIVAL

10 – 15 Sep

LIVE Feed

Tony Cantwell

In the year 2000, comedian Tony Cantwell celebrated his confirmation by buying a home personal computer and entered the world of online anonymity.

A multimedia story told through sketch, stand-up and video of how one chubby fridget successfully juggled multiple personas but found the biggest struggle was his own puberty.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

10 – 15 Sep

Sink

John O’Donovan | One Duck

Summer. Heatwave. City’s like a pressure cooker. Country boglands crack open, revealing secrets long buried. Bríd’s coming home to convalesce.
Ciara’s headed west too, investigating a potential archaeological site. But as they arrive in the village, they find peace elusive.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

10 – 15 Sep

The Prosecco Express

Joanne McNally | The Lisa Richards Agency

Joanne is lost, not physically, she knows exactly where she is, she’s in Dublin. But adopted at six months old, she has no real sense of who she is. What Joanne doesn’t realise is once she opens that big, strange door she can’t close it again. Mainly because she’s double jointed in both hands, and while we’re on the topic, whose fault is that? Joanne is on a mission to find out how DNA and destiny works, and now so are you.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

10 – 15 Sep

Nine Weeks

Seán Kennedy

This is a story of love, vulnerability, connection and reclaiming lost power. When Seán discovered his mother was terminally ill, he travelled to Australia to bring her home. Things didn’t go as planned. He’s trapped between two worlds. These nine weeks changed them both forever.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

12 – 15 Sep

[Re]Framed: Articulations & STICKMAN

ELENA LYDIA KREUSCH & DARRAGH MCLOUGHLIN | Squarehead Productions

In the first piece, the performer conducts an intimate self-examination of her body on stage. She does this in order for us to see ourselves. How many stories can be inscribed on one’s body? The second piece features Man, Stick and TV. Man and Stick engage in various improbable feats of balance. It’s fairly easy to interpret as the TV tells you what to see. Until it starts to tell you what to do. This work is a circus piece on the surface and a tragedy at its core.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

13 – 15 Sep

Birthright

Nadine Flynn

The patriarch has passed. A mother and daughter have a story to tell. One is comfortable existing, and the other is eager to be seen. And they have an audience to please.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

17  – 21 Sep

Vespertilio

BARRY MCSTAY | Fight and Hope

The rest of his species was declared extinct. His location is a closely guarded secret. He is the last of his kind.

Alan is the protector of the last Greater Mouse-Eared Bat left in Britain, his sole focus is this creature’s survival. That is, until a chance meeting in the dark with a charming young runaway changes everything.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

17  – 21 Sep

Dreamgun Film Reads Strikes Back

Dreamgun

After their sell-out, award-winning and critically acclaimed run last year, Dreamgun strike back with a whole new lineup of film reads for you to binge at Fringe. Classic film scripts, rewritten with jokes and nonsense, read by unprepared comedians.

Tuesday: Die Hard
Wednesday: Back to the Future
Thursday: GoldenEye
Friday: The Silence of the Lambs
Saturday Matinee: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Saturday Evening: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

FRINGE FESTIVAL

17  – 21 Sep

Starlet

Alison Spittle | Blow In Productions

We like sex. We like discovery. We are the voice in your head; the chat over pints; the eggplant emoji. It all starts in a bath, finding that little button and all of a sudden you’ve opened Pandora’s box.

FRINGE FESTIVAL

17  – 22 Sep

Afloat

Eva O’Connor & Hildegard Ryan | Sunday’s Child

The climate apocalypse has hit. Dublin is underwater. Best friends Bláthnaid and Debs have survived, and live on the top floor of the SIPTU building. With only seagulls and their kayak for company, they spend their days drifting and reminiscing over the last days of Dublin. Debs looks to the future, but Bláthnaid is tormented by guilt.

Why were they blind to the wave that was coming?

FRINGE FESTIVAL

17  – 22 Sep

Minefield

Clare Monnelly | In Association with axis Ballymun

We all have choice. We all have autonomy. But one wrong move can shift opinion. No one wants to be on the wrong side of history. The mob are out for blood. Who’s next?

Joe was a really big deal. Before the video that turned the tide. Jack had a following too, but in a very different way. Cillian was just a kid.

This play digs deep into the darkness of the online world in an attempt to put a human face on anonymous hate.

THEATRE

24 – 27 Sep

Extra Ordinary

Mind’s Eye Theatre Company

Extra Ordinary tells the story of a young journalist who travels to an asylum in Mississippi, in the late 1970’s, to understand the lives of its patients and how they’re “treated”.

THEATRE

24 – 28 Sep

48

No Desserts

The lives of four friends are changed forever when they enter the Stardust Nightclub on Dublin’s Northside on 13th February 1981.

DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL

2 – 6 Oct

Pike St.

Nilaja Sun

Set in a diverse neighbourhood in the shadow of Manhattan Bridge, Pike St. tells the story of a desperate mother unable to move her stricken daughter down five flights of stairs during an approaching hurricane. As she works to keep the electricity flowing into her daughter’s respirator, an entire community of colourful characters – a decorated war veteran, her ne’er-do-well father, and her octogenarian downstairs neighbour – offer their help, casting new light on the phrase ‘it takes a village.’

DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL

9 – 12 Oct

Burgerz

Travis Alabanza and Hackney Showroom

After someone threw a burger at them and shouted a transphobic slur, performance artist Travis Alabanza became obsessed with burgers.
How they’re made, how they feel, and smell. How they travel through the air. How the mayonnaise feels on your skin.

This show is the climax of their obsession – exploring how trans bodies survive and how, by them reclaiming an act of violence, we can address our own complicity.

IMRAM

14 – 19 Oct

IMRAM 2019

IMRAM Féile Litríochta Gaeilge

Tugann IMRAM a lucht éisteachta/féachana ar aistear eolais, aistear ina gcuirimid eolas ar shaibhreas na litríochta Gaeilge comhaimseartha trí mheascán d’imeachtaí éagsúla a chuimsíonn prós, filíocht agus ceol, agus sin i dtimpeallachtaí beoga.

MUSICAL THEATRE

15 – 19 Oct

New Fish: A Musical

Grace O’Malley

When Dublin girl Anna moves to London ready to make a splash in the West End and finds herself waiting tables instead of waiting in the wings, she struggles to come to terms with the reality of the industry. A story about finding your place in the world when you have lost your way; how friends are the family you make yourself and when things seem just beyond your reach, it’s time to slay it.

THEATRE

21 – 26 Oct

20 Seconds

Thunder and Theatre Company

What can you do in 20 Seconds? Wake up? Fall asleep? Make an enemy? Fall in love? Save a life? Is it enough time? In this debut performance by Thunder and Theatre Company, 20 SECONDS is story of two complete strangers attempting to become friends after circumstance leaves them trapped in an elevator.

BALLET

24 – 26 Oct

Grey Matter

ballet project[d]

ballet project[d] presents two new and original works choreographed by Lauren Speirs. Rational Creatures and Ensnared (choreography collaboration with Fiona Kania) features five professional female ballet dancers and music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Zoe Keating, and Max Richter. Rational Creatures explores the topic from a more classical, storytelling point of view while Ensnared examines persuasion from a more abstract, contemporary vantage.

ballet project[d] is Ireland’s youngest and most innovative professional ballet company. Born here in Dublin, it began as an ambitious project which set out to lead a renaissance movement in ballet.

DANCE

29 Oct

Oasis Bellydance Festival

Oasis Bellydance

The magic of oriental dance in Dublin.

Oasis BellyDance has been for over 20 years sharing the art of oriental dance around the world. Directed by Thay Molica &  Allan Victor.

MUSIC

31 Oct

Niamh Strong Sings Eva Cassidy

Niamh Strong

Think of a beautiful tapestry with many vibrant colours. Think Blues, Soul & Jazz. This is the stunning voice of Niamh Strong. Born into the entertainment business, her father Rob Strong is the legendary Blues performer, and brother Andrew Strong was Decco Cuff in The Commitments. Niamh first lifted a microphone at the tender age of 9 when her father was jamming with other musicians, astonishing everyone in the room with an impressive blues run. There and then, it was obvious this little girl had natural talent.

MUSIC

1 Nov

Thresholds by Saso & Kevin Corcoran

Glasshouse, MLTDSNW

Glasshouse are proud to present Thresholds, the latest album from Saso and Kevin Corcoran. The compositions in this innovative work are inspired by the cycle of life and the journey to death, making for a contemplative and meditative experience. Glasshouse are excited to bring this experience to you with a live concert of Thresholds in Smock Alley Theatre. Prepare to immerse yourself in a very special night.

NEWvember NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL

1 + 2 Nov

NEWvember New Plays Festival 2019

NEWvember Festival

This is the 8th annual NEWvember, a festival of rehearsed readings of new plays. After 5 years in New York, this is the 3rd year the event will be held in Dublin. The spirit of NEWvember is to provide a dynamic, interactive and welcoming place where writers can hear their plays read by seasoned actors, and discuss their work and creative process with the audience.

LITERATURE FESTIVAL

1 – 3 Nov

Murder One – Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival 2019

Murder One Crimewriting Festival

A series of talks and discussions with various crime-writers and crime-writing experts.

THEATRE

4 – 8 Nov

The Haunted Host

Melia Theatre Company

When The Haunted Host premiered at the infamous Caffe Cino in Greenwich Village in 1964, it did so illegally due to its explicit portrayal of homosexuality. This play – coming a half decade before the Stonewall Riots of 1969 – was one of many artistic catalysts that propelled the early Gay Rights Movement in the United States.

Jay is an eccentric Greenwich Village homosexual with a gift for playwriting. He is haunted by the untimely passing of his former lover, Ed. Frank is a young, straight man in search of a playwriting mentor and a place to stay for the night. When Jay opens the door to realise that Frank is a dead-ringer for the late Ed, he sees an opportunity to re-enact the past and absolve himself of old sins. With lightning-fast dialogue that’ll have your cheeks wet and hot with laughter, the two deconstruct truths about art, gender, drugs, society, death, sexual orientation, friendship, love and how much you can give to a person without losing yourself in the process.

MUSIC

9 Nov

Listening Bodies

Kirkos + Tonnta

Tonnta and Kirkos join creative forces for the first time to assemble Listening Bodies, an epic, once-off takeover of Smock Alley Theatre featuring world-renowned composers in dialogue with unique local voices.

The culmination of a long-term collaboration between the two ensembles, this immersive experience builds from mentorship from internationally acclaimed artists, including German composer David Helbich and Irish performance artist Amanda Coogan.

You are invited to dive into this embodied four-hour exhibition of live and installation music given by 10 performers. Weave your way with sound throughout the entire labyrinth of Dublin’s oldest theatre.

THEATRE

10 – 16 Nov

Hollow and Dead-Eyed Beasts

Some People Theatre Company

Three reclusive former child stars are forced to sell their lavish South Dublin home when they finally run out of money after years of living to excess. Having gathered to mourn their manager’s death, things begin to get weird. Long held secrets come unravelled, a popular dance craze takes on new importance, lifelong friendships are tested, and a dead dog oversees it all. Are these overgrown children ready to leave behind their fantasy world for a life more ordinary?

THEATRE

13 Nov

Othello

Bright Umbrella Theatre Company

The Turks are attacking Cyprus and General Othello ‘The Moor’, is sent with an army by the Venetian Duke to stop their advance. In the claustrophobic atmosphere of a Cypriot military stockade, the psychopathic Iago convinces Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with The Moor’s right-hand man, Captain Cassio.
The result is an explosion of mistaken motives, violence and murder. Shakespeare’s original script abridged to 130 minutes.

DUBLIN BOOK FESTIVAL

14 – 17 Nov

DBF 2019

The Dublin Book Festival is one of Ireland’s most successful and vibrant book festivals, running since June 2006. The annual public festival showcases, supports and develops Irish publishing by programming, publicising and selling Irish published books, their authors, editors and contributors – all in an entertaining, festive, friendly and accessible environment that reflects the creativity and personality of the Irish publishing sector and its authors.

THEATRE

18 – 23 Nov

Zandra, Queen of Jazz

Darn skippy Productions

With just her sax and a suitcase, Zandra Mitchell joined a jazz band and toured the world. Born in Phibsborough, Dublin in 1903, she was Ireland’s first female saxophonist.
While the twenties roared she found her way through Europe to Berlin. The dictators rose; the books burned; the bombs dropped… and Zandra played her sax.

THEATRE

3 – 7 Dec

Gaslight

No Drama Theatre Company

Set against the backdrop of Victorian London in the late 19th century, Gaslight (from the 1938 Patrick Hamilton play Gas Light and its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations) tells the tale of Bella Manningham: a gentle, devoted wife who believes that she is slowly going mad.

Each night, as her husband Jack leaves the house to attend to business, she hears strange noises in the attic…..
A gripping tale of suspense, thrills and the pursuit of truth

MUSIC

6 Dec

Chef Chocolate

Cooks but we’re Chefs + Audible Chocolate

Chef Chocolate will be a night of extreme pleasure for all senses, but mostly your ears. Cooks But We’re Chefs and Audible Chocolate are teaming up on the 6th December at the historic Smock Alley Theatre.

Cooks But We’re Chefs are a 9 piece ensemble incorporating elements of jazz, hip hop, and floor filling disco/house into their sound. They’ve been playing raucous live shows, and building a tight knit community of serious body movers for the past two years at events such as Body&Soul, Stendhal Festival, Forbidden Fruit, Electric Picnic as well as venues across Dublin from the Bernard Shaw to the Button Factory.

Audible Chocolate are a three piece funk ensemble hailing from the glorious Northside of Dublin. With lyrics inspired by the trials and tribulations of Ireland’s youth, AC serenade listeners with Motown inspired melodies, percolated riffs and syncopated beats.

Also featuring on the night will be a mystery DJ hand selected by the Chef Council. They’re under strict instructions to play good music.

THEATRE

9 – 14 Dec

This is NOT a Cult

No Desserts

Picture it. The near future. The seas have risen, the end times are nigh and​ ​you’re stuck… singing… and worshipping… in Athlone.

A play with songs (not​ ​a musical!), This is NOT a Cult shepherds its flock into the bleak remnants of​ ​apocalyptic Ireland where Jesus 2 has gathered a desperate bunch of so-​​called sinners to his table to worship both his deeds and quite possibly his​ ​misdeeds.

MUSICAL THEATRE

12 – 14 Dec

Baaa Humbug! A Stocking Full of Show Tunes

Gingerboy Productions | Paul Wilkins

Three Wise Men they are not… but stars from the hit musical Les Misérables they are! Join West-End, Broadway and International performers Earl Carpenter, Paul Wilkins & Chris Holland in an evening fully packed with musical anecdotes, witty banter and an abundance of Christmas merriment!

COMEDY / IMPROV

19 – 21 Dec

Dreamgun Film Reads: The Christmas Binge

Dreamgun

Dreamgun return to Smock Alley with a mini-season of Film Reads tangentially related to Christmas. A different christmasy film script every night, rewritten with jokes and performed by unprepared comedians.

Thursday – Die Hard
Friday – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Saturday Matinee – The Lion King
Saturday – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

MUSIC

19 Dec

Video Launch & Christmas Special

Clara Belle

A special intimate gig to launch the latest video for alt-pop artist Clara Belle’s City I Love U.

This is her final Dublin show of the year. She will play never before heard songs from her upcoming EP plus some warming seasonal specials and be joined by some amazing surprise guests on the evening.

LIVE PODCAST

20 + 21 Dec

Pure Brazen

I’m Grand Mam

Join Kevin and PJ as they take their podcast ‘I’m Grand Mam’ from their kitchen table to the cutest theatres in Ireland to bring you Pure Brazen; the shameless sex ed chat you never knew you needed but have subconsciously always been craving!

It’ll be a night full of naughty notions so you’ll know all the bits when it comes to making your move at the work Christmas party!