DUBLIN FRINGE 2026: Review: KAFKA'S DOLL at Peacock Stage
Theatre Lovett and the Abbey Theatre bring Franz Kafka's tender final story to life with Brechtian cabaret, circus flair, and striking desig
Based on Franz Kafka’s final year in Berlin, Frances Kay’s adaptation of Kafka’s Doll (co-directed by Muireann Ahern and Louis Lovett for Theatre Lovett) follows a dying author who meets a heartbroken young girl who has lost her favorite toy. To comfort her, he invents a series of letters explaining the doll’s grand world adventure. Before the performance even begins, audience members get to "meet" the handmade dolls up close in the space. It is a wonderfully charming touch that instantly connects the crowd to the world of the play.
The versatile ensemble (Louis Lovett, Charlotte Cleary, and Cormac Mohally) brings this world to life with infectious energy. Combining physical circus tricks, direct address, and playful musical numbers, they give the performance a lively variety-show rhythm with a distinctly Brechtian flavor. Leaning into deliberate theatrical alienation, they constantly remind us of the mechanics on stage while keeping the story surprisingly grounded.
Technically, the production is a complete triumph. Lighting designer Sarah Jane Shiels works in lockstep with set designer Jamie Vartan to construct shifting landscapes in real time. Light becomes active choreography, guiding the narrative across a series of intricate mini-sets. Paired with Carl Kennedy’s sound design and Nico Brown’s score, the atmospheric world feels rich and endlessly inventive.
While the show retains a signature Kafkaesque weirdness, particularly in Kafka's surprisingly detailed knowledge of the child's home in his letters, this eerie edge only adds to the play’s dreamlike logic. Ultimately, it delivers a clear and comforting message: loss changes us, but what is lost often returns in unexpected forms. With its gorgeous design, circus flair, and rich musical texture, Kafka’s Doll is a captivating gift for adult audiences and older children alike.
Kafka’s Doll plays at the Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre as part of Dublin Fringe Festival through September 20, 2026.
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