Ireland

Creators: Brokentalkers Reviewer: Ciara L. Murphy What do we really know about the Irish prison system? And, do we even care what goes on? These two questions sit at the forefront of The Examination, a performance about the Irish prison system. Using a blend of biography and socially engaged performance practice, Brokentalkers present a challenging task to their audience: to try ...

Writer: David Greig Director: Cora Bissett Composer: Cora Bissett Reviewer: Ciara L. Murphy “You can’t change everything, but you can change something.” Glasgow Girls opens at the Abbey Theatre this week amid a sea of ongoing controversy surrounding programming at Ireland’s National Theatre. Glasgow Girls is not exactly a typical Abbey production, so does it deserve its place on Ireland’s national stage? ...

Writer: Aibhe Cowley Director: Eadaoin Barrett Reviewer: Laura Marriott Uncle Tony overdosed last month and has left the future of the family business resting on Sharon’s shoulders. Will KitKats 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? Sharon’s story could be pitch black; ...

Creator: Louise White Director: Louise White Reviewer: Ciara L. Murphy Combine one actor (Lucy Miller), one pianist/mezzo-soprano (Michelle O’Rourke), and one dancer (Phillip Connaughton) and what do you get? A funeral, obviously. This is the funeral of our lives, and creator Louise White creates a charming and participatory method of presenting us with the inevitability of our own demise. Turns ...

Writer: Doireann Coady Director: Doireann Coady Reviewer: Ciara L. Murphy “I’m remembering so that you’ll never forget.” Doireann Coady’s brother Donal committed suicide ten years ago. This play is about him and it certainly packs an emotional punch. Coady writes, directs and performs in this one-hander at the Project Arts Centre to a packed house. I’m Not Here is emblematic of ...

Writer: Alain Boubil & Jean-Marc Natel Adaptation: Trevor Nunn & John Caird Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer Direction: Laurence Connor & James Powell Reviewer: Saoirse Anton After thirty-three years of near-continuous success, it’s clear that the creators of Les Misérables have done something right, and this touring production from Cameron Mackintosh is not about to buck that trend. In ...

Writer: Fitz-James O’Brien Adaption: Michael James Ford Director: Bairbre Ni Chaoimh Reviewer: Laura Marriott In Dinner in Mulberry Street Christmas in New York is falling far short of a fairy tale. It is 1857 and newlyweds Agnes and Dick have fallen on hard times. Unable to find work they must use every ounce of creativity and initiative that they have to ...

Text and Lyrics: Feidlim Cannon, Gary Keegan, and Mary Coughlan Original Music: Valgeir Sigurdsson Director: Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan Reviewer: Laura Marriott Woman Undone premiered at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre and from the queue of people waiting to go in it was clear that this was one of the theatre seasons big draws. For someone unfamiliar with Mary Coughlan the reasons soon ...