The annual Dublin Theatre Festival opens today, hosting a range of theatre, music, dance and family events.
Over the next three weeks, there will be more than 30 productions across multiple venues in the city, including shows at the Abbey Theatre and walking tours around the city centre.
Set up in 1957, the festival has grown over the years, and the organisers say they are committed to bringing world class theatre to Dublin from home and abroad.
The festival has a mission to include international theatre companies as well as highlighting Irish productions and showcasing a new generation of emerging writers and artists.
There are also a range of events and workshops on offer alongside the onstage plays.
One of the popular features is a programme called The Next Stage, an artist development strand where participants are given access to an array of artists, designers and production teams in order to gain a behind-the-scenes experience.
Where to begin?
The Abbey Theatre has been the focus of much attention in recent weeks with the publication of the long-awaited Crowe report on past controversial governance issues.
Added to that, the theatre has been dark since the end of July, which has caused much commentary, so confirmation that The Abbey will be back in action and returning to the main stage with a new production of Lady Gregory’s Grania has been broadly welcomed.
Directed by Abbey Theatre Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin, the play tells a story of characters from Irish mythology, Gráinne, Diarmuid and Fionn Mac Cumhaill, but with a twist as they are re-imagined for a 2024 audience.
The Gaiety Theatre is set to host a revival of Tom Murphy’s The House from director Garry Hynes.
The play explores the playwright’s familiar themes of poverty, emigration and complex family relationships.
Also at the Gaiety will be Reunion, the latest offering from one of Ireland’s most successful playwrights, Mark O’Rowe.
Presented by Landmark productions and Galway International Arts Festival, the play tells the story of a family gathering for a celebration on an island off the west coast of Ireland, when an unexpected visitor drops by.
Find Your Eyes from hip-hop artist Benji Reid is a particular highlight for the festival.
The show traces his story which confronts some difficult and challenging themes, and as an acclaimed pioneer of hip-hop theatre turned award winning photographer, this piece is described as an exploration of making sense of the world through stories and art.
The show will be held at the O’Reilly Theatre at Belvedere College.
Also at the O’Reilly Theatre is Nobodaddy, a large-scale dance and theatre piece presented by Michael Keegan-Dolan.
From early triumphs like Giselle (2003), The Rite of Spring (2009) and Rian (2013), to the monumental Swan Lake / Loch na hEala (2016) and MÁM (2019), Keegan-Dolan has time and again proved himself as a creative force to be reckoned with.
Thisispopbaby always aims to entertain and wow its audiences and with its show, 0800 CUPID, the company aims to present a production that will enthrall audiences again.
The show is described as “raucous cabaret, which is a genre-defying queer counter culture work” and will be hosted in the Project Arts Centre.
Anu productions have also carved out a unique place in Irish theatre as the company seeks out unusual and unique venues for its work.
This year, it has found its way to the Royal Society of Antiquaries Ireland with its play Starjazzer which is inspired by The Starjazzer by Seán O’Casey.
Political fans will be drawn to The Agreement which is taking to The Gate Theatre stage.
Set in April 1988, the play revisits the days leading up to the Good Friday Agreement.
Written by Owen McCafferty, the show was first produced by the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and its transfer to the Dublin stage has been eagerly awaited.
The Samuel Beckett Centre hosts the Javaad Alipoor company and Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramata with the production Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World.
Telling the story of the pop star Fereydoun Farrrokhzad, the production depicts a world filled with Wikipedia references and murder mystery podcasts about a case you have never heard of.
The festival offers various events for children too, such as a production of The Bus by Meave Ingoldsby and Philip Hardy.
Updated by John Morton, the show is taking place at The Axis, Ballymun and is suitable for ages 6 to 12.
It explores the challenges of entering a new school and how to navigate the first hurdle, dealing with the politics of the school bus.
This is just some of the many productions on offer over the next three weeks in the festival which runs until 13 October.
The Dublin Theatre Festival runs from today until 13 October.
