Farah Elle on being bold enough to choose to live with joy and love

RTÉ News​

4 hours ago

Farah Elle is an Irish singer/songwriter of Libyan descent. She brings her sensory music and storytelling experience in a new show called LIBYA!, to Bewley's Café Theatre for this year's Dublin Fringe Festival. Below, Farah talks community, healing and restoration, and being bold enough to choose to live with joy and love at the centre...
I'm so excited (and a little nervous!) to finally share something I've been working on for the past year. This September, my show LIBYA!. It's not just a performance either —it's something much more personal than that.
LIBYA! is my story. Or at least, it's pieces of my story—the blunt, honest bits of life that have shaped who I am today. Without the metaphors either. Just straight facts about my life. It's about identity, belonging, and the complicated relationships we can sometimes have with our roots. It's about what it means to carry the weight of memory while trying to live fully in the present.
For me, creating this show has been about learning how to open up, even when it feels vulnerable, and inviting others to sit in that space with me.
But here's the thing: I didn't want to just tell these stories. I wanted people to feel them. That's why LIBYA! is also a sensory experience. When you come, you'll be greeted by the smells of jasmine trees, cardamom coffee, and fresh mint tea. There'll be baklawa to share, because that's the type of hospitality you can expect in a North African household. How we welcome people, how your presence is a gift, and how life's simple pleasures are something to be deeply grateful for - is the spirit I want to bring into the theatre.
Sharing food, scent, and story is a way of saying: you are here, you belong, you're part of this moment with me. Thank you for listening and I am grateful to be able to share life's pleasures with you.
The emotions in the show are layered—there's sadness in there, because stories of identity and home often hold loss. But there's also joy, laughter, and a celebration of relentless connection to it all.
My hope is that everyone who arrives in the space, settles in with ease, and leaves not only knowing a little more about me, but also thinking about their own story. Knowing that their voice matters too. Where do you feel you belong? What do you carry with you from your roots? How do you hold both the pain and the beauty of it all?
For me, creating this show has been about learning how to open up, even when it feels vulnerable, and inviting others to sit in that space with me. It's scary, but it's also really exciting. I want people to walk away feeling connected, maybe even a little blessed—like they've been part of something both intimate and universal.
Dublin Fringe Festival has always been a space for bold and unusual voices, and I'm honoured to share LIBYA! as part of this year's programme. If you're curious, if you're open, and if you're up for an evening of story, scent, and soul, I'd love for you to come and be part of it. I can't wait to welcome you in!