The Abbey Theatre News

The Alliance for Jewish Theatre has appointed two dynamic leaders as Co-Executive Directors, beginning October 1st, 2025. Learn more about the new leadership here!

Celebrating its landmark 10th anniversary edition this year, Sounds from a Safe Harbour (SFSH) will return to Cork City next week. Learn more about the event here!

Murder, mystery and manhunts in Elizabethan England in 1593. How could Christopher Marlowe, a known spy and England's foremost playwright, be suspiciously murdered and quickly buried in an unmarked grave just days before he was to be tried for treason? How could William Shakespeare, an unknown actor who 'held horses for the gentry while they watched the plays,' become England's star playwright virtually overnight? A comedy-thriller that intertwines the two mysteries. It's a wild ride through the gay London theatre world as the city fights the black plague, the hunt for Catholics, and the questions about Marlowe's murder. Quickly the crown becomes suspicious of Marlowe's mysterious murder and the similarities of his works with those of Shakespeare's. A manhunt begins with Marlowe being chased from city after city in Italy. The whole chase culminates in a final confrontation of excitement and murder. All the historical facts presented in the play are accurate.

Although it is mainly known for its mass production of the Bible, Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press was also responsible for the mass distribution of Greek myths and texts to spark the age of enlightenment.

Legendary Irish actor Stephen Rea takes on Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape in a revelatory new production directed by Vicky Featherstone. Learn more here!

When Geppetto’s latest wooden creation magically comes to life, a new story begins for an unlikely father and son. From one adventure to another, Pinocchio approaches his life with a courageous spirit and innocent optimism, while Geppetto realizes that fatherhood is more than he ever imagined it to be. But when Pinocchio learns that it’s not only his wooden frame that makes him different from the other boys, he must look within himself to discover what it truly means to be a real boy. This regional premiere theatrical event presents Pinocchio as a gay fairy tale hero and brings Pinocchio’s magical world to life. A family-friendly adventure with sophisticated undertones, this fresh adaptation explores the joys and trials of parenthood and the importance of being true to yourself. Performances run June 19, 20, 21, July 10, 11, & 12 at 7:00pm, June 29 & July 13, at 2:00pm, at the Abbey Theatre of Dublin, 5600 Post Rd. Dublin, Ohio 43017. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.evolutiontheatre.org/

The Smuggler, Ronán Noone's award-winning one-man thriller in rhymed verse, is making its Irish and U.K. debut this July. Learn more about the New York performance here!

The Smuggler, Ronán Noone's award-winning one-man thriller in rhymed verse, makes its Irish and U.K. debut this July. Set on a wealthy Massachusetts island in 2025, it follows Irish immigrant Tim Finnegan (Michael Mellamphy) as he's pulled into the island's criminal underworld after a fatal crash stirs tensions between locals and migrant workers.

When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires.

Following a reading of the Sam Shepard play in January, Steve Buscemi and Aidan Quinn are moving forward with a film version of Ages of the Moon. Both will star, with Quinn also directing the feature.

The 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been given to U.S. playwright a.k. payne for their play Furlough's Paradise. Awarded annually since 1978, the prestigious international Prize is the largest and oldest award recognizing women+ who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. 

Robert Cooperman may not remember her first name, but he is forever grateful to Mrs. Barlas, the Jamaica (N.Y.) High School English teacher who introduced  him to playwright Eugene O’Neill.

Malaprop Theatre will present an Irish Tour of their award-winning production, HOTHOUSE. This is a fast-paced, poignant story of love, loss, and legacy. Learn more!

Asolo Repertory Theatre has announced complete casting for the Olivier and Tony Award-winning memory play Dancing at Lughnasa, which begins previews on March 19, 2025.  

Casting has been announced for Birmingham Rep’s new production of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Ursula Rani Sarma’s play based on Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling spiritual sequel to The Kite Runner. 

Tennessee Shakespeare Company brings from the Irish page to the Tabor Stage its next installment of its Literary Salon Series: Lady Augusta Gregory: Revivalist of a Country on Sunday, March 2 at 3:00 pm.

You may not know the 1930s icon, but you definitely have seen the effects of her life. Nearly every siren, diva, and pop tart owes a little bit of their persona to Mae West.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced this year's finalists for the prestigious international playwriting award. Learn more about the finalists and the award here!

St. Ann’s Warehouse will present SAFE HOUSE, written and directed by Tony Award-winning Enda Walsh, with music by electronic-acoustic composer Anna Mullarkey, and produced by the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre.

“A Heart That Never Closes,” the new song from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, is out now. Listen to the track, which is the latest unveiled from the trio’s first collaborative album.