THE KING OF ALL BIRDS to Make UK Premiere at Summerhall During Edinburgh Fringe
Irish theatremaker Martha Knight's gig-theatre show is directed by Joy Nesbitt and supported by Culture Ireland.
Award-winning Irish theatremaker, sound designer and composer Martha Knight will bring her critically acclaimed theatre show to Summerhall for its UK premiere. The King of All Birds blends sound, history and imagination to trace humanity's ever-evolving relationship with the sky - from a time when it lay untouched, through the earliest daring attempts to reach it, to today's relentless ascent up and up. Performances will run 6 - 31 August.
Inspired by the societal phenomenon of aerial photographs displayed in homes across Ireland since the 1960s, The King of All Birds is a playful, tongue-in-cheek one-woman piece of gig theatre which expands this story, tracing Ireland's history from the great birds of Celtic folklore to our modern world of aeroplanes, satellites, and drones. Tracking this journey with the help of classic Irish folk song, Wild Mountain Thyme, performed via voice, musical instrument, and live electronics; Martha Knight tells a radically gentle story of Ireland, identity, and belonging.
Martha Knight is an award-winning theatremaker and sound designer from Dublin. She is a core artist with Tallaght-based collectives SoloSIRENs and Freshly Ground Theatre, and was a 2024 Axis Assemble artist and the 2024 Druid Theatre Marie Mullen bursary recipient. As an in-demand sound designer, she has worked on shows with Galway International Festival, Landmark Productions, THISISPOPBABY, Livin' Dred, Cork Midsummer Festival, and Sugarglass Theatre, amongst others. As a theatremaker, she has presented work at Dublin Fringe Festival and Freshly Ground Theatre, amongst others.
The King of All Birds debuted to acclaim at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2023 where it won the The Listowel Residency ‘The George Fitzmaurice Award', before touring Ireland and Canada. It now makes its UK premiere at Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Director Joy Nesbitt is one of the most acclaimed young theatremakers working in the UK right now. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she has written and directed projects for both stage and screen in the UK, Ireland, and the US, earning nominations for a raft of awards. Joy's award-winning play, Blood of my Blood, is premiering at The Royal Court Theatre upstairs in October 2026. She is also writer and director of JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW, a satirical takedown of identity politics within theatre set against the backdrop of the 2023 Dublin riots, and presented as part of Summerhall Arts' Fringe 2026 programme.
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