Dublin Theatre Festival programme revealed

Irish Times

23-07-2025

This year's Dublin Theatre Festival opens with an ensemble of actors from Peru with Down syndrome, sharing their desires and frustrations in a new version of Hamlet. Built between Shakespeare's text and the actors' lives, its starting point is the existential question: To be or not to be?
In a number of shows, the festival is set to centre the stories and experiences of D/deaf people, neurodivergent people, and people with disabilities, with sensitivity and imagination. It's part of the line-up of shows unveiled today by Róise Goan, in her first programme as the festival's new artistic director and CEO. Running from 25 Sept 25th to Oct 12th, Dublin Theatre Festival's programme ranges from classical repertoire to work pushing theatre's boundaries, with 29 productions from across the globe, for all ages, over 18 days and nights.
'As an island nation on the edge of Europe, that punches above our weight with our global contribution to culture, Dublin Theatre Festival is a really important moment in the calendar for Irish audiences to see the outside world on our stages', says Goan. 'With a world in turmoil, the shared experience of witnessing stories from artists from all corners, as well as excellent home-grown theatre, has never felt more important.'
There's a renewed focus on international companies bringing work to Ireland, from Ukraine, Peru, Scotland, England, France, Poland, Belgium, India and Spain. Another thread in the festival features the perspectives and vision of extraordinary female artists, telling sometimes their own, or other women's stories.
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Among the highlights this year:
I Fall Down: A Restoration Comedy by Gina Moxley sees the former art student inflamed by women's erasure in the prescribed history of art and the omission of female genitalia in classical statuary, and enlists the audience in her brazen attempt to right these wrongs, in a show involving a lecture, an operatic promenade, contemporary dance and a clay modelling workshop (meeting point Samuel Beckett Theatre).
In What Are You Afraid Of? actor Peter Hanly returns to the stage after many years' absence following severe performance anxiety, searching through past and present and asking himself, and audiences, the broad question, in a Rough Magic and Kilkenny Arts Festival production at Smock Alley.
Druid Theatre's 50th anniversary production, of Macbeth, is at the Gaiety, directed by Tony Award winner Garry Hynes, led by Marty Rea as Macbeth and fellow Tony winner Marie Mullen as Lady Macbeth.
At the Abbey, The Boy: A Two-Play Theatrical Event, written by Marina Carr and directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, will be an epic production offering three ancient Greek myths and two new Irish plays.
Also at the Abbey is BÁN by Carys D Coburn, a raw and dark reworking of Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba, going beyond simply mapping Franco's Spain on to de Valera's Ireland.
The Gate Theatre and Belgrade Theatre Coventry present the world premiere of Poor by Katriona O'Sullivan, adapted by Sonya Kelly from O'Sullivan's bestselling memoir, and directed by Róisín McBrinn.
L'Addition (UK and France) directed by Tim Etchells, and created with the brilliant performance duo Bert and Nasiplays with the mechanisms of theatre as much as with power relationships at play in restaurants. (New Theatre)
Shane O'Reilly fuses theatre, opera and film in an ambitious new work, Her Father's Voice. A young girl is about to have cochlear implant surgery as her parents wrestle with the weight of their choices in this contemporary family drama (O'Reilly Theatre).
An Taibhdhearc presents Beckett sa Chreig: Guth na mBan / The Women's Voice, four short works by Samuel Beckett, the second part in a series by Company SJ. Promising a compelling visual experience in an immersive Irish language production (Project Cube).
Konstantin, inspired by Chekhov's The Seagull, imagines what happens after the final act. Blending live-performance with immersive sound design at Project Arts Centre, the audience experiences the world through Konstantin's ears — hearing every word, unable to speak back. Written by Lauren Jones and directed by Eoghan Carrick, produced by Cian O'Brien Arts & Once Off Productions.
Adapted from the poems of Ukrainian-American author Ilya Kaminsky, Deaf Republic (Dead Centre and the Royal Court) is an epic modern fable of war, humanity and collective resistance. Told through a mix of spoken English, Irish Sign Language, creative captioning and silence, Deaf Republic brings together an ensemble of deaf and hearing actors, aerial performers, puppetry, live cinema and poetry (Samuel Beckett Theatre).
In DEEPER at Project Arts Centre, Polish theatre maker Gosia Wdowik deals with representations of deep-fakes in contemporary culture. Based on personal experience and interviews with teenagers in Warsaw, and the production and reproduction of altered images depicting female bodies without their consent.
The Belfast Ensemble (Abomination, a DUP opera) premiere their queer opera Dublin Jack in concert, ahead of the 2026 production inspired by the life and writings of notorious Irish sex worker, Jack Saul. A work that explores Anglo-Irish queer identity, a sneak preview of a major new work from one of the most exciting companies on the international opera scene (The Depot @ The Complex).
The Making of Pinocchio is a true tale of love and transition from Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill (Scotland and England) told through the story of Pinocchio (Samuel Beckett Theatre).
Whitewashing from Rébecca Chaillon and Aurore Déon (France) explores the white gaze as experienced by Black women in contemporary France. (Project Arts Centre).
The Irish premiere of Adam Rapp's (Red Light Winter) critically acclaimed Tony-nominated Pulitzer-finalist drama The Sound Inside intimate and haunting story about the intersection between art and the most private corners of the human heart (Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire).
At Project Arts Centre, Be Careful, from Mallika Taneja (India) is a performance work that challenges the notion of safety and the burden of responsibility placed on women to ensure they are not attacked in public space.
How do you live your life in four short years? This is the question actor and writer Michael Patrick is faced with in My Right Foot, after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease — the same disease that killed his father. A true story about disability, perseverance, and living life to the full. Directed by Oisín Kearney at Axis Ballymun.
At the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Caligula is a visually striking Ukrainian production created in the aftermath of Russia's invasion. A bold, urgent and unflinching production confronting fear, complicity and resistance. €10 tickets are available for people displaced by war. From Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre, Ukraine.
A new adaptation and a contemporary Irish take on the Chekhov classic Three Sisters, by award-winning playwright Ciara Elizabeth Smyth, at The Gaiety Theatre. Directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull and designed by Molly O'Cathain, featuring Megan Cusack (Call The Midwife), Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Alex Murphy (The Young Offenders) and Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary).
At O'Reilly Theatre, set against the backdrop of present-day Warsaw, 30-year-old Maja comes to terms with a traumatic loss. Pieces of a Woman is from the writer (Kata Wéber) and director (Kornél Mundruczó) behind the award-winning hit Netflix film adaptation; witness the Irish stage premiere from TR Warszawa Poland.
From FUEL (UK), Nowhere, an intricate and playful solo show, inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian revolution of 2011,and his experience of the counter-revolution that followed, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (United 93, The Kite Runner, The Crown) takes us on a surprising journey into his own history, set against a cartography of seismic world events (Project Arts Centre).
The Quiet Man by John Breen with Mikel Murfi is based on the short story that inspired the film with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Promising a raucous, emotionally charged show at The Civic.
This year's Family season includes six productions for younger audiences.
The Theatre for Children programme, curated by The Ark presents 4 productions, for ages 0 years up:
From Engruna Teatre Spain, Univers is a poetic sensory experience for babies ages 0-2 is layered with stunning visual imagery and live music where children are slowly drawn into the space, interacting in their own way.
Beyond Universe is an adaptation of Univers created especially for children with complex needs (3+).
Inspired by the book by Stephen Hogtun, Leaves is a world premiere from Branar about learning how to be in the world and those who guide us all through. This non-verbal adaptation combines stunning puppetry, a signature original score by Colm Mac Con Iomaire, design by Maeve Clancy and direction by Marc Mac Lochlainn (ages 4-8).
Toby Thompson's adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's beloved novel, The Little Prince, captures its poetic essence and philosophical depth. With his signature style, Thompson brings this enchanting tale to life, inviting audiences to embrace curiosity, wonder and the magic of imagination (7+).
From Dan Colley at Draíocht Studio, The Maker invites audiences into a world full of visual surprises, physical comedy, and strange magical experiments that teeter between brilliance and disaster (ages 7+)
From Fishamble: The New Company, The Leap by Gavin Kostick, takes us to a place where ancient wrongs may be righted, new worlds are created and a young girl's sad heart may be cured. It might be possible to piece together what's been broken. But only if she chooses (Draíocht Studio).
The festival also has a new talks programme, Dublin Theatre Festival Thinks, with highlights includes a talk by feminist philosopher Sara Ahmed and Sarah Durcan on the publication of her new book about the #WakingTheFeminists movement, chaired by Emma Dabiri.
To make the festival more accessible various initiatives include DTF's 10 for 10, with 10 per cent of tickets for €10 to under 30s, unwaged and freelance arts workers (sponsored by Aviva). And Fair Play provides accessible performances, group initiatives, and an Access Pass to simplify booking and access. There's an Access Guide, with information on accessible performances, wheelchair accessible entrances, exits and toilets at venues, public transport options, and a video journey outlining how to get to and from venues. (Sponsored by Clinch Wealth Management).
Priority booking for friends of the festival from noon today. Public booking from noon, July 31st.
dublintheatrefestival.ie