Paul Meade

The Royal Court Theatre has announced the inaugural season from new Artistic Director David Byrne: nine new plays, all from writers making their Royal Court debuts. Learn more about the full season lineup here!

Gúna Nua Theatre Company presents the world premiere of SHAM, a contemporary take of Shakespeare's Hamlet, set in gangland Limerick. Written by award-winning playwright Paul Meade and directed by acclaimed actor and playwright, Amy Conroy - the play will look at the complexity of social and economic factors at work in this culture and explores how the characters are trapped within it.

Direct from Dublin, the sharp-aimed soccer-culture comedy a?oeAppropriatea?? arrives for its US premiere as part of the 2020 Origin 1st Irish Festival. The very limited engagement running from January 27 to February 2 at the New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Avenue, in Long Island City plays 7 performances from Monday January 27 to Sunday February 2. The show opens officially on Monday January 27 at 8pm.

Six mainstage productions, several of which explore positive and dramatic social change on the Island of Ireland in the past decade, will be part of the 2020 Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival, running in venues across the city from January 7 to February 3. New York's all-Irish theatre festival and the world's only festival devoted exclusively to producing the plays of contemporary Irish playwrights from around the world, presents productions from Belfast, Dublin, Wexford, Manhattan and Queens. Three are American premieres; two are world premieres. The American premiere of Eva O'Connor's 'Maz and Bricks' and the world premiere of Sean Sugrie's 'The 8th' open the Festival on January 7.

The month-long Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival, the world's only festival devoted to producing the plays of contemporary Irish playwrights from around the world, runs four weeks from January 7 to February 3, 2020. A total 15 events, including seven mainstage productions from Belfast, Dublin, Wexford, and Manhattan and Queens, will be seen in- and out-of-competition. Among the productions, three are American premieres; two are world premieres. 15 contemporary Irish writers are represented with work in the Festival.

The crowd-pleasing rugby play "Alone It Stands" scored Best Production at the 2019 Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival's closing night festivities at The Manhattan Club at Rosie O'Grady's in Times Square tonight. The locally produced American premiere of "Alone It Stands," a play with an illustrious production history in Ireland, The West End and elsewhere, was nominated in four categories, and played at 59E59 Theaters. Two critically acclaimed productions imported from Ireland -- "On Blueberry Hill" (at 59E59 Theaters through February 3) and "The Morning After the Life Before" which played at the cell - also had big wins, with "On Blueberry Hill" (produced by Fishamble: The New Play Co in Dublin) earning Best Actor for Niall Buggy and Best Design; and "The Morning After the Life Before" (produced by Dublin's Guna Nua Theatre) winning Best Actress for Lucia Smyth, and Best Director for Paul Meade.

Productions and plays from Ireland face off against several homegrown New York productions as the 11th annual Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival hands out its awards at a closing night ceremony at Rosie O'Grady's Manhattan Club, 800 Seventh Avenue, on Monday January 28 at 7pm.  Origin 1st Irish 2019, the world's only theatre festival dedicated to showcasing the work of contemporary Irish playwrights from around the world, began on January 9. Among the festival's six mainstage productions in competition, five are US premieres, and one is a world premiere. To RSVP to the awards ceremony, which is a free event, visit www.origintheatre.org

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to welcome the NYC premiere of ALONE IT STANDS, written and directed by John Breen. Produced by Gyre and Gimble Productions as part of Origin's 1st Irish Festival, ALONE IT STANDS begins performances on Thursday, January 10 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 27. 

The 8th annual Origin's 1st Irish Festival is announcing today that two productions from Ireland -- "Pondling" and "Little Thing, Big Thing" (both at 59E59 Theaters), and one from New York -- "Stoopdreamer" at the cell -- each attracted five nominations for the festival's top honors, which will be handed out an Awards Ceremony co-hosted by the Broadway actress Geraldine Hughes at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, on Monday September 28 at 7pm. The Festival continues through Sunday October 4.

Pondling, directed by Paul Meade is on the 59E59 stage through October 4th. Written by Genevieve Hulme-Beaman and starring Hulme-Beaman, this one-woman show is extraordinary.

59E59 Theaters has announced the line-up of shows for Fall 2015.  All performances take place at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues).  Ticket prices and performance schedules vary. For tickets, call Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or online at www.59e59.org. 

Comedy in many varieties will be the common refrain of the 8th annual Origin's 1st Irish Festival running from September 2 to October 4. In all seven mainstage productions seen in competition (4 US premieres, 3 world premieres), plus seven special events out-of-competition will make up the five-week, month-long festival.

59E59 Theaters will welcome Guna Nua Theatre Company (Dublin, Ireland) and Ramblinman with the US premiere of PONDLING, written and performed by Genevieve Hulme-Beaman and directed by Paul Meade. Part of Origin's 1st Irish Theatre Festival, PONDLING begins performances on Tuesday, September 8 for a limited engagement through Sunday, October 4.  Press opening is Sunday, September 13 at 7:30 PM.  The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:30 PM; Friday at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM & 8:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM & 7:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org. 

Philadelphia's Inis Nua Theatre Company will present the Philadelphia premiere of Trousers by Paul Meade and David Parnell, running today, February 5-23 at the Off-Broad Street Theater in the First Baptist Church (1636 Sansom Street). Trousers premiered at Guna Nua Theatre Company, Dublin, in 2006. The Irish Independent called the play 'a deceptively simple comic gem'.

Philadelphia's Inis Nua Theatre Company will present the Philadelphia premiere of Trousers by Paul Meade and David Parnell, running February 5-23 at the Off-Broad Street Theater in the First Baptist Church (1636 Sansom Street). Trousers premiered at Guna Nua Theatre Company, Dublin, in 2006. The Irish Independent called the play "a deceptively simple comic gem".

AboutFACE Ireland will be presenting Orson Welles' Christmas Carol, a new play for Christmas for the whole family, at the Powerscourt Theatre in Dublin, for 5 performances only, December 20th-22nd 2013. Written by Paul Nugent, it tells a fictionalized account, based on true events, of the Christmas Eve 1938 night where, in CBS Radio Studio 1, the young radio superstar Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air are set to perform their eagerly awaited weekly 60-minute version of a classic; tonight it's “A Christmas Carol.” Only things aren't too Christmassy: it's ten minutes to ON-AIR and legendary Scrooge Lionel Barrymore has fallen sick, and now 23-year-old Orson has to step into his shoes; plus the script still isn't right, Orson's on the rampage, his cast are revolting after three days of rehearsing without sleep, and the pressure's on after the success of “War of the Worlds”: the Nation awaits and Hollywood's watching! Will this Christmas Carol have a happy ending?

Wexford Opera House is Ireland's first custom-built, multi-purpose opera house. The stunning landmark building is nestled in the heart of the beautiful Harbour town of Wexford and offers two diverse performance spaces, The John and Aileen O'Reilly Theatre and the Jerome Hynes Theatre. Click on the links to the right to read more about Wexford Opera House.

Wexford Opera House is Ireland's first custom-built, multi-purpose opera house. The stunning landmark building is nestled in the heart of the beautiful Harbour town of Wexford and offers two diverse performance spaces, The John and Aileen O'Reilly Theatre and the Jerome Hynes Theatre. Click on the links to the right to read more about Wexford Opera House.

Guna Nua Theatre Company takes hit show 'Little Gem' on tour around Ireland and UK after Olympia success

Guna Nua Theatre Company takes hit show 'Little Gem' on tour around Ireland and UK after Olympia success