Dublin theatre festival goes from Quaker reflections to high-speed romance by Helen Meany

This year's shows include a meditative new play from Janet Moran and an ironic variation on the romcom by Nancy Harris Martyna Majok's Ironbound (★★★★☆), first …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:03am on October 11, 2023[SHARE]

Life and Times of Michael K review " brutal war brought to life with exquisite puppetry by Helen Meany

Black Box theatre, GalwayThe immense artistry in Lara Foot's staging succeeds in finding the emotional essence of JM Coetzee's story of a humble man who endures pitiless treatment 'My story…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:55am on July 28, 2023[SHARE]

Lie Low review " disturbing consent comedy plays with expectations by Helen Meany

Abbey theatre, DublinTaking an absurdist approach to sexual consent and false memory, this polished play shifts disarmingly from spiky humour to tense confrontation A children's game of make…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:25am on July 21, 2023[SHARE]

How to Be a Dancer in 72,000 Easy Lessons review " the evolution of expression by Helen Meany

Black Box theatre, GalwayMichael Keegan-Dolan charts how he found his creative voice alongside longtime collaborator Rachel Poirier A dancer drags a bag of compost on to the stage and hacks …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:13am on July 19, 2023[SHARE]

Cork Midsummer festival review " impressively ambitious programme of new work by Helen Meany

Trojans ★★★★☆ / Freefalling ★★★★☆ / This is You ★★★☆☆Cork city, various venuesVirgil's The Aeneid, a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:55am on June 23, 2023[SHARE]

Agreement review " the high drama of Northern Ireland's peace talks by Helen Meany

Lyric theatre, BelfastOwen McCafferty's dramatisation of the last days of negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement remains accessible while expertly conveying tortuous political tus…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 6:42am on April 3, 2023[SHARE]

Tartuffe review " lavish arrival of Frank McGuinness's take on Molière by Helen Meany

Abbey theatre, DublinPlacing modern tech in the baroque setting, Caitríona McLaughlin's production emphasises artifice but leaves the central message unmoored Secrets, lies and disguised …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:00am on March 13, 2023[SHARE]

Piaf review " Camille O'Sullivan fully inhabits the doomed chanteuse by Helen Meany

Gate, Dublin Pam Gems' play may have dated, but the tragic arc of Édith Piaf from street urchin to torch singer is still compelling, told through music that rings with drama Edith Piaf's…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:18pm on December 11, 2022[SHARE]

Propaganda: A New Musical review " love and betrayal at the birth of the cold war by Helen Meany

Lyric, BelfastEffervescent jazz and operatic lyricism tease out the characters in Conor Mitchell's ambitious production which grows thrillingly in impact " and in contemporary resonance Fake…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:33am on October 18, 2022[SHARE]

Dublin theatre festival review " sex in the spotlight and parents under pressure by Helen Meany

Various venues, DublinGood Sex explores live performance and intimacy; Colic considers domestic disquiet; and All Hardest of Woman immerses the audience in the corridors of a maternity hospi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:25am on October 11, 2022[SHARE]

Joyce's Women review " Edna O'Brien's powerful play is a fascinating portrait of a fellow writer by Helen Meany

Abbey theatre, DublinO'Brien's empathy for Joyce shines through in this lavish production, as she brings him to life, seen through the eyes of his mother, wife, daughter and lover Marking th…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:37am on September 23, 2022[SHARE]

The Steward of Christendom review " shattering portrait of a scarred man by Helen Meany

Gate theatre, DublinOwen Roe is riveting in Sebastian Barry's deconstruction of a family set against the tensions of Irish independence Sebastian Barry's shimmeringly poetic memory play is a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:07am on July 28, 2022[SHARE]

From a Low and Quiet Sea review " lyrical staging of Donal Ryan's novel by Helen Meany

Nun's Island theatre, GalwayIn a series of monologues, four characters in a small Irish town try to make their peace with painful pasts Author Donal Ryan has a gift for eliciting sympathy ev…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:24am on July 18, 2022[SHARE]

The Last Return review " what queuing etiquette reveals about western imperialism by Helen Meany

Mick Lally Theatre, GalwayFour people in a line for theatre tickets grow increasingly fractious, competitive and entitled in Sonya Kelly's deliciously spiky absurdist satire Everybody knows …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:33pm on July 17, 2022[SHARE]

True West review " Sam Shepard's fraternal face-off gains new resonance by Helen Meany

Town Hall theatre, GalwaySteppenwolf's staging at Galway International Arts festival has a smart political and racial awareness as it unpicks the American myth Sam Shepard's story of two war…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:03am on July 15, 2022[SHARE]

Cork Midsummer festival review " ambitious shows make for an invigorating comeback by Helen Meany

Cork cityFrom reflections on exile to an erotic turn in a lighthouse and a play about the stark reality of war, the festival makes a dramatic return Cork's annual festival makes an invigorat…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:48am on June 23, 2022[SHARE]

The Cavalcaders review " soaring voices elevate nostalgic Irish drama by Helen Meany

Mick Lally theatre, GalwayRevival of Billy Roche's sweet-sour memory play in which years of guilt and betrayal haunt friends in late-1980s Ireland The streets of Wexford form a self-containe…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:18am on June 2, 2022[SHARE]

Constellations review " a stirring love story with infinite possibilities by Helen Meany

Gate, DublinThis intricate production of Nick Payne's high-concept romance poses existential questions with elegance and levity There were two lovers, Roland and Marianne, who lived in Londo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 3:54pm on May 13, 2022[SHARE]

Luck Just Kissed You Hello review " scorching truth-telling in deathbed drama by Helen Meany

Abbey, DublinWayne Jordan directs a sombre revival of Amy Conroy's 2015 play exploring gender identity and family dynamics What kind of man is it possible to be? That is Amy Conroy's probing…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:33am on May 6, 2022[SHARE]

Translations review " Brian Friel's tale of two cultures has universal impact by Helen Meany

Lyric, BelfastCaitríona McLaughlin's taut new production of Friel's colonisation drama is a timeless study of change and identity Brian Friel's drama of colonisation becomes a timeless st…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:36am on May 2, 2022[SHARE]

Outrage review " passion, idealism and disillusionment in Ireland's revolutionary years by Helen Meany

The Pumphouse, Dublin PortAn unflinching look at the role of women is at the forefront of this gripping drama that brings hidden histories to the surface Civil war brings devastation to one …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:33am on March 27, 2022[SHARE]

X'ntigone review " culture wars rage before Freedom Day in Thebes by Helen Meany

Abbey, DublinThe political intrigues muddy the drama of conscience but this is a sleek futuristic staging of Sophocles' tragedy, adapted by Darren Murphy A defiant young woman imprisoned in …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 5:12pm on March 18, 2022[SHARE]

Endgame review " Frankie Boyle brings fresh life to Beckett's dystopia by Helen Meany

Gate theatre, DublinThe comedian turns on the roguish charm as part of a dazzling cast that inject new poignancy into the absurdist classic One of Samuel Beckett's most celebrated plays, End…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 6:33am on February 18, 2022[SHARE]

Portia Coughlan review " blistering birthday tragedy of self-destruction by Helen Meany

Abbey theatre, DublinDenise Gough plays out Portia's bleak 30th, defined by family resentments, misogyny and the spectral presence of her dead twin, in this disturbing drama It is not only t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:18pm on February 17, 2022[SHARE]

Every Brilliant Thing review " ode to life's joys is candid and compassionate by Helen Meany

Abbey theatre, DublinWith a jazzy soundtrack and heaps of audience participation, this pared-back production manages to find light in the darkness of depression Of all the brilliant things t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:06am on January 14, 2022[SHARE]