No Drama Theatre & Arcane Theatre

Explore the dark, strange and mysterious with this spooky selection of short horror plays.

Stage Fright is an anthology of gripping new short plays, each of them exploring dark, strange and mysterious tales of horror. From true crime and psychological chillers, to journeys into the supernatural and macabre, Stage Fright has something for all those who like a little darkness on the stage.

No Drama have selected 10 plays for you, all of which are original pieces from the twisted imaginations of up-and-coming writers from Ireland’s theatre scene.

Each night will feature 4 short plays, with an interval in the middle. The week is divided into 3 blocks, with 2 nights each. You can peruse the full lineup below, as well as short descriptions of each play….

Block 1 – Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd October, 7.30pm
-The Date (written by Alejandro Niklison, directed by Kate Cosgrave)
-Fionn and the Fish (written and directed by Ellie Lee Henry)
-Rash Decisions (written and directed by Cian Doherty)
-The Buried (written and directed by Dave Curran)

Block 2 – Thursday 24th & Saturday 26th, 7.30pm
-The Date (written by Alejandro Niklison, directed by Kate Cosgrave)
-Capital Punishment (written by Morven Cameron, directed by Jae O’Connor)
-The Problem at Vitality Scientific (written and directed by Ciaran Oscar Monaghan)
-Changeling (written by Dave Curran, directed by Saorla O’Dowd)

Block 3 – Friday 25th at 7.30pm & Saturday 26th at 2pm (Saturday matinee)
-The Date (written by Alejandro Niklison, directed by Kate Cosgrave)
-The House of Remembrance (written by Adry Leon, directed by Simon Nader)
-Quiet. Listen. Quiet. (written by Antoinnette McCarthy, directed by Shannon McCormack)
-Shadows (written and directed by Dave Curran)

The Date:
Two strangers share an intimate evening. As the wine flows, so too do the secrets. How much should you reveal on a first date?
Written by Alejandro Niklison. Directed by Kate Cosgrave. Starring Saorla O’Dowd and Alejandro Niklison.

Fionn and the Fish:
A centuries old tale, and yet the Fish is far older.
Fionn learns an unexpected burden of unlimited knowledge. One might become aware that one is being played by an actor in a play.
Join us as an ancient, eldritch horror drives one of the most famed characters in our mythology to madness.
Written and Directed by Ellie Lee Henry. Starring Lea Bažon, Matthew Eglinton and Seán Brady.

Capital Punishment:
“In your own words; what happened on the 14th of January at Rilington Place?”
Gruesome murder, deceit and a miscarriage of justice that shook a nation. The real 1950s case that caused the abolishment of the death penalty in Britain.
Written by Morven Cameron, directed by Jae O’Connor. Starring Morven Cameron, Conor Duffy, Rory Knox, Ellen Corby.

Rash Decisions:
A tale of a rash that starts to itch, then starts to feed….
Written by Cian Doherty.

The Buried:
A successful horror writer returns to his poverty-stricken home town, hoping to find his missing childhood friend. Instead, he uncovers a dark mystery which threatens everything and everyone he holds dear.
Written and directed by Dave Curran. Starring Dave McGowan, Donagh Lynch, Lana Camilli Fiona O’Meara, Conor Hanson, Becky Jenkins, Martin Gallagher, Kieran Leen, Marina Lopez Gomez, Cian Doherty, Ciaran Oscar Monaghan, Morven Cameron, Caleb Ballantine, Fionn Bowes Fitzpatrick, Grace Moore.

The House of Remembrance:
‘Her’ stumbles across a deserted house in the forest with nothing in it but the outlines of a life described by a book. As ghostly figures begin to make their presence felt, Her’s struggle is played out before us until the penultimate act, her fate decided by the audience.
Written by Adry. Directed by Simon Nader. Starring Adry Leon, Andres Fortes, Lara Rodrigues Hass, Darragh Barron.

The Problem at Vitality Scientific:
Vitality Scientific: Using innovative biomedical research to provide modern solutions to today’s health challenges. They also have a pool table in the office, and casual every-other-Fridays. Eleanor from HR has a meeting with an unorthodox new hire.
Written and directed by Ciaran Oscar Monaghan. Starring Elizabeth Gill and Andrei Callanan.

Changeling:
A holiday in Spain turns into a nightmare for an Irish family when Sean, the youngest sibling goes missing. When he returns home the following night, his family are relieved…. Except, that is for Alison who sees something that the others cannot: this is not her brother.
Written by Dave Curran. Directed by Saorla O’Dowd. Starring Gráinne Gallagher, Shane Robinson, Jacqueline Carroll, Declan Ryan, Theo Dennis, Alejandro Niklison.

Quiet. Listen. Quiet:
Alone in a darkened room, a woman tries to soothe her mounting fears about the man beyond the door.
Written by Antoinette McCarthy. Directed by Shannon McCormack.

Shadows:
A brilliant scientist leads controversial, yet groundbreaking experiments into the human mind and its potential. But some doors are best left unopened. Science, death, the paranormal all mix together to create our ultimate fears in this tale of ambition, lies and forbidden knowledge.
Written and Directed by Dave Curran. Starring Sarah Louise Noll, Bernadette Bond, Kieran Leen, Martin Gallagher, Mark Colreavy, Malcolm Bolton, Conor Hackett, Márcio Wille, Katya Chapiro, Maurice Collins, Marcello Fidelis

Age Suitability: 12+

Warnings: Strong language, some violence, some distressing themes, flashing lights
PRODUCER: Dave Curran
PRODUCTION MANAGERS: Dave Curran, Geesch Raila Juilfs, Saorla O’Dowd, Lana Camilli
MAKEUP: Naoise McFarlan Fitzgibbon
LIGHTING DESIGN BY Susannah Conroy
SOUND DESIGN BY Susannah Conroy
SET DESIGN BY Dave Curran and Tom Curran
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER Fionn Bowes Fitzpatrick
HORROR HOSTS: Kieran Leen, Aaron Lockhart
MUSICIAN: Clare Grogan
MODEL: Gráinne Gallagher
PROPS COORDINATOR: Kate Cosgrave
HORROR FESTIVAL CREW: Alejandro Niklison, Becky Jenkins, Caleb Ballantine, Cian Doherty, Kieran Leen, Naoise McFarlan Fitzgibbon, Nicky Griffin

TICKETS €15 | €12
RUNNING TIME 2 hrs 40 mins incl. 15 min interval

About the company
No Drama Theatre is an open and welcoming theatre group that puts on quality productions and holds regular workshops and activities throughout the year. Find us on our website (www.NoDramaTheatre.com) or on Instagram and Facebook. We are open to all!