The Abbey Theatre News

Formerly banned by the Irish censorship board in 1950's Ireland, The Country Girls tells the tale of love in all its incarnations: unconditional, dutiful, compassionate, possessive, devoted, illicit, unrequited, first love. Two fiercely smart young girls have their delicate bonds cemented during a fateful day of triumph and tragedy. Kate (Grace Collender) and Baba (Lola Petticrew) were a marvellous double act. Solemn friends, confidants, partners in crime, frenemies. Youthful (were they 16 or were they 24?) and delightfully polished actors, Kate and Baba navigated us through the turbulent waters of innocent, naive love. With the blind leading the blind, we witnessed their recurrent shipwrecks in slow motion, then they resolutely reassembled and set sail again.

A group of women in the Seacoast who have gone through the highs and lows of being friends and colleagues for several decades will stage a production this month at the Players' Ring of a play that tells the story of, well, the highs and lows of women's friendships.

Come From Away just keeps coming! A new block of tickets is being released for performances through Sunday, March 1, 2020, for the Tony Award-winning, international smash hit musical!

Clean Break welcomes playwright and dramaturg Gillian Greer as its new Creative Associate as part of its 40th Anniversary. Within her role, Gillian will extend the dramaturgical and developmental rigour of the company's core commissions during and beyond its celebratory year.

'On Sequences' is an exciting new show bringing together composer/sound designer Peter Power and percussionist Alex Petcu, who will present an evening of sound, music and performance at CIT Cork School of Music on Thursday, March 14.

Irish Repertory Theatre announced today special events and programming for the month of March as part of the The Sean O'Casey Season, a comprehensive retrospective of the work of renowned Irish playwright Sean O'Casey, celebrating 30 years of Irish Repertory Theatre.

Telling the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of 9/11, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them, will be Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), Nathanael Campbell (Bob and others), Clive Carter (Claude and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Robert Hands(Nick, Doug and others), Helen Hobson (Diane and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J, Ali and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others), Emma Salvo(Janice and others), David Shannon (Kevin T, Garth and others), Cat Simmons(Hannah and others) and Rachel Tucker (Beverley, Annette and others) with Mark Dugdale, Bob Harms, Kiara Jay, Kirsty Malpass, Tania Mathurin, Alexander McMorran, Brandon Lee Sears and Jennifer Tierney.

Fuel have today announced the cast for the UK tour of Inua Ellams' critically acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles which returns by popular demand.

February 18 is a big day for Come From Away! All of the show's productions around the world will celebrate the day, for various reasons.

Never underestimate the power of our youth. In this case the united voice of 7 exceptional high-school girls: Amal Azuddin, Emma Clifford, Jennifer McCarron, Agnesa Murselaj, Roza Salih, Ewelina Siwak and Toni-Lee Henderson, aka: The Glasgow Girls. This is an enjoyable musical about teen activists, fighting for the rights of asylum seekers in their school and community in Glasgow. It features conscientious and gutsy neighbours who stick out their necks to protect cherished friends and a perceptive teacher who recognises and nurtures the fires of justice in his pupils.

Come From Away is gearing up for its official London opening next week, and to join in celebrations, the real-life Islanders and From Aways have descended on London!

On the heels of an acclaimed tour to dozens of local pubs dotting the Irish countryside, Chicago Shakespeare Theater welcomes Abbey Theatre's Two Pints to The Pub at Chicago Shakespeare for a limited Chicago engagement, March 6-31, 2019. Written by Booker-Prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle and directed by Caitriona McLaughlin, the production invites audiences to pull up a stool in the Theater's intimate lobby gathering space for an immersive, site-specific theatrical experience, starring Liam Carney and Philip Judge. Over the course of a few rounds, their characters' banter evolves into a wide-reaching and deeply revealing dialogue on life, loss, and vegetarianism-hailed 'achingly, breathtakingly funny' by The Sunday Independent.

Following the success of the world premiere of award-winning writer Chris Lee's exciting and poignant play which debuted at Chiswick's Tabard Theatre in Sept 2018, Laura Pradelska (Game of Thrones, Summit Conference) and Director Ken McClymont (Dogstar, Doig, Beak Street, Sherlock Holmes and the Invisible Thing, I Am Of Ireland) return for a second run in London's West End, joined by new co-star Alan Turkington.

Have you ever pondered over a shocking news story and thought: what possibly could have possessed that individual to behave in that erratic manner? Philip Ridley tackles that question not once but twice in his 2 plays: Tonight with Donny Stixx and Dark Vanilla Jungle. Playwright, Philip Ridley has achieved a remarkable feat. In a mere 75 minutes, he gives you a complete snapshot of a young person's life. Their hopes, fears, prejudices, and desires. Their blinding pride and protective ignorance. Their primal urge for love and acceptance.

Irish Repertory Theatre announced today special events and programming for the month of February as part of the The Sean O'Casey Season, celebrating 30 years of Irish Repertory Theatre.

Imagine your absolute favorite story. Swap the protagonist for a bicycle-averse sergeant, an amiable but soused philosopher, a fellow tippler a few shillings short of a pound and a publican with a brain that should be pickled for posterity. Scour the stage for 4 exceptional Irish actors to narrate the tale and then assemble them in the one location in Ireland where the finest stories are exchanged - a public house. Furnish them with one of Ireland's savviest wordsmiths and the result is unquestionably a treat.

On September 11th 2001, whilst unimaginable horrors were unfolding on one island, on another island 1500 miles NE, an entire village rallied together opening their hearts and homes to help 7000 strangers. Amongst the countless stories of bravery, sacrifice, resilience and camaraderie across the globe on 9/11, this story of Gander is a simple blueprint for the unfathomable depths of human kindness.

Irish Repertory Theatre is excited to announce The Sean O'Casey Season, a comprehensive retrospective of the work of renowned Irish playwright Sean O'Casey, to take place from January through May of Irish Rep's 30th Anniversary Season.

As Scotland's new writing theatre, the Traverse has been an incubator for brand new plays since it was founded in 1963, spotlighting the powerful stories, innovation and talent in Scotland, while launching the careers of many renowned writers, actors and directors. They have now revealed that their January-April 2019 season is a celebration of this - with three home-grown productions returning for a special run, before travelling worldwide.

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.