Dublin city is a melting pot for dramatic performances along with theatres rich in heritage. Here’s a guide on what’s gracing the stage this season in the city (visit the theatre’s websites for information on ISL performances):
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Blood Brothers. Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers will run from 7-18 February. This musical tells the moving tale of twins separated at birth who grow up with completely opposite backgrounds only to reunite with fateful consequences.
Mother Goose. The musical pantomime Mother Goose is set to have its Irish premiere in Dublin this March. Mother Goose (Ian McKellen) and her husband Vic (John Bishop) run an animal sanctuary for strays. When a magical goose arrives at their doorstep, will fame and fortune get the better of them? Described as a “total hoot” by Broadway World and “glorious” by the Daily Telegraph, Mother Goose will run from 22-26 March.
“Make way, the Queens are arriving in Dublin. The smash hit West End and Broadway musical Six will run from 4-8 April.”
Six. Make way, the Queens are arriving in Dublin. The smash hit West End and Broadway musical Six will run from 4-8 April. Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design, the six wives of Henry VIII retell their own tales, after too many years of being lost in his story.
Heathers. Following its major success on the West End at The Other Palace, Heathers The Musical will run from 25 April-6 May. This black comedy rock musical based on the beloved 1988 film displays the inner turmoil of the students of Westerburg High School. When nobody Veronica Sawyer joins the beautiful, cruel Heathers, her dreams of popularity come true. Murder is just another step on the social ladder.
The SpongeBob Musical. The SpongeBob Musical for its UK and Ireland premiere will run from 9-13 May. Written by Kyle Jarrow and conceived by Tina Landau, transporting us down to Bikini Bottom, the show features original songs from artists such as John Legend, Sara Bareilles and Panic! At the Disco.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The acclaimed National Theatre production of The Ocean at the End of The Lane will run from 28 March-1 April. From the mind of Neil Gaiman, this is a thrilling adventure fantasy taking the audience on a journey back to a dark childhood. A man finds himself standing by a pond near an old Sussex farmhouse where he used to play. There he is transported back to his 12th birthday where he is informed that the pond used to be an ocean, full of countless more possibilities.
The Best Marigold Hotel. The Best Marigold Hotel is a play about risk, love and second chances running from 16-20 May. Based on the novel by Deborah Moggach which inspired the film version in 2011, we travel to India with a group of British retirees looking for a new life. Although they indulge in luxury, they are charmed in exotic and life-altering ways.
The Abbey
Tales from the Holywell. The world premiere Abbey production Tales from the Holywell follows the journey of Damien Dempsey’s life. Running from 30 January-18 February, this piece tells the story of a young boy from the Northside finding his voice, inspiration and people. Directed by Conor McPherson for the national stage in words, music and song.
Our Tethered Kin. Our Tethered Kin runs from 9-11 February, written by Ronan FitzGibbon and directed by Gavin McEntee and Evan Lordan. Two children are found at the edge of a deep dark wood populated by The Shadows that alter the actions of men. As they grow, they are sent down two different paths. One light and one dark. Which would you choose? This combined fairy-tale and folk opera is performed through movement, music and puppetry.
The Table. Written by Christian O’Reilly and directed by Marc Mac Lochlainn, The Table is running from 1-18 March and lies at the heart of the Ó’Flatharta house. A trick is played, a deal is struck, and a family is changed forever. The table they once shared now stands between them. Branar explores the impact of the Civil War and family division through an ensemble cast.
“In a new version of Molière’s Tartuffe by Frank McGuiness, directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, this 17th-century classic is given an Irish makeover.”
Tartuffe. In a new version of Molière’s Tartuffe by Frank McGuiness, directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, this 17th-century classic is given an Irish makeover. The dramatic comedy will run from 3 March-8 April.
Gate Theatre
The new Electric Ballroom. Enda Walsh’s The New Electric Ballroom will run from February 28-1 April in the Gate Theatre directed by Emma Jordan. Trapped in the memories of their youthful pasts, sisters Breda and Clara reflect on lost love and what might have been. The effect of small-town life comes to play as their younger sister Ada looks to re-ignite her family’s spirit.
The Price. Arthur Miller’s The Price will run from 13 April-3 June directed by Conleth Hill. Two brothers, one a policeman and the other an eminent surgeon, both with separate familial values, meet to settle their father’s estate and arrange its sale. This is a story of property, ambition and the weight of family duty which has been relevant to audiences since its premiere in 1968.
“Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original score, Fun Home will run from 6 July-26 August.”
Fun Home. Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original score, Fun Home will run from 6 July-26 August. Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel, this piece follows both her past and present: her childhood memories of playing in her family’s funeral home merge with college life and first love and adult life as a graphic novelist. This is the Irish premiere directed by Róisín McBrinn with music from Jeanine Tesori and Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron.
Gaiety Theatre
Potted Potter. For the comedy and Harry Potter lover, Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books into seventy minutes along with a real-life game of Quidditch. Created by Olivier Award Entertainment nominees Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, it will run from 8-12 February.
“This dark comedy production comes fresh off the back of McDonagh’s award-winning feature film The Banshees of Inisherin.”
Hangmen. Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen will run from 11 March-8 April in association with Decadent Theatre Company. The Irish Premiere follows Harry, something of a local celebrity in Oldham, as he struggles to know what to do with himself after the abolishment of hanging—as the second-best hangman in England. This dark comedy production comes fresh off the bat of McDonagh’s award-winning feature film The Banshees of Inisherin.
An Inspector Calls. The National Theatre’s landmark production An Inspector Calls dramatises the dangers of casual capitalism’s cruelty, complacency and hypocrisy. Written at the peak of the Second World War and set before the first, this piece is a compelling and haunting thriller. From director Stephen Daldry, it will run from 18-22 April.
The Shawshank Redemption. Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and Frank Darabout’s 1994 film version, The Shawshank Redemption takes the stage to examine desperation, injustice, friendship and hope behind bars. Directed by David Esbjornson, it will run from 1-13 May.
