Dublin Fringe Festival 2023

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9 — 24 SEPTEMBER
3 WELCOME GET YOUR TICKETS! BIG NIGHTS OUT SOME PLACE NEW IN STITCHES RHAPSODIES ARTIST SUPPORT BODYSCAPES FESTIVAL CLUB YOUNG RADICALS PLAYS, PLAYS, PLAYS LIMITLESS DAY-BY-DAY INDEX VENUES AWARDS THANK YOU TEAM SUPPORT US SPONSORS 2 4 5 11 23 37 45 51 64 65 69 85 106 114 115 116 117 118 119 125
Creative
Illustrator Laura Callaghan
FRONT COVER
Agency bigO

WELCOME TO DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL 2023

We are excited for you to join us on this captivating artistic odyssey, where the city of Dublin emerges as an expansive canvas for endless imagination and boundless potential. The artists in this year's programme are the visionary architects who infuse vitality into every nook and cranny of our thriving city, weaving a tapestry of boundless creativity, diversity, and vision.

Prepare yourself for an enrapturing expedition into the realm of artistic expression, where the potency of performances, the profundity of narratives, and the audacity of experimentation will captivate your senses. Our artists serve as catalysts, master weavers, and pioneers, seamlessly integrating their narratives into the very essence of Dublin. They transcend conventional artistic boundaries, prompting us to question, reflect upon, and reimagine the world that surrounds us.

Within the pages of this programme, you will witness the convergence of cultures, clash of ideas, and harmonious interplay of diverse perspectives. From pioneering theatre productions to mesmerising dance performances, from immersive installations to unforgettable nights out, each event has been meticulously curated to ignite your imagination and leave an enduring imprint on your soul.

IN 2023, LET’S RENDER THE CITY LIMITLESS

Every artist possesses a unique storytelling prowess, e ortlessly evoking emotions that resonate within us. They remind us that art is not confined solely to galleries or stages, but rather flourishes within the city's streets, gardens, and hidden corners. Through their artistic endeavours, they beckon us to break free from the constraints of daily life and embrace the transformative power of artistic expression.

We extend a warm invitation to open your hearts and minds to the enchantment that lies in wait.

Immerse yourself in Dublin's vibrant energy as it metamorphoses into a living, breathing entity, shaped by the boundless creativity and fervour of these extraordinary artists. Allow their performances and creations to transport you to unexplored dimensions, challenge your preconceptions, and unite you with the universal language of art.

We sincerely thank you for embarking on this exhilarating voyage with us. Together, let us celebrate the artists who liberate our city from limitations and breathe life into it with their remarkable work. Welcome to the 2023 Dublin Fringe Festival, where art defies boundaries, and the possibilities are truly extraordinary.

Dublin city has been sleeping, preening, trapping tourists and consuming cultural hubs. This year festival artists are holding the map to the light; seeing sprawling complexes, huddles of artists shifting o the sides, hotels booming up up up, the echo of dancefloors that once beat through city nights. In this year’s festival the individual and the communal meet to activate our city streets, lit by a great glowing grid, the energy of these stories ready to write the city into existence, the artists that bring it into being.

The artists in this year’s programme are making moves: thinking, dancing, laughing, scrawling sense into the streets, breathing life into our little pop-up town. They’re showing us the forgotten gust and pulse of the beating ecosystem that is our city. They’re leaning into the singular, the specific, inviting us to reimagine our place in our re-expanded world by examining the minutiae. They’re setting the compass for how to navigate our newly singular identities in the playground of our recovered city, exploring how we work, date, dance, exist.

Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 is busting us out of solitude in a ball of joyous, communal energy. The artists in this year’s programme are drawing us through the windows of cramped Dublin apartments, connecting us to the bloom of nature in urban spaces, bringing us to secret spaces. Follow their lead.

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Visit fringefest.com to book now. All tickets must be purchased online in advance.

For any ticket enquiries, contact us at boxo ce@fringefest.com or call us on 1800 374 643

DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL 2023 TICKETS ARE ON SALE

AGE SUITABILITY

Due to mature themes, strong language and nudity, the content of many Dublin Fringe Festival shows may not be viewed as suitable for all audiences. You will find shows suitable for ages 0-18 on pages 65-68 in Young Radicals and pages 12, 19, 40 and 44 for all ages.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Where applicable, show content warnings can be found on the show page and in more detail on our website.

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

If you or a member of your party is a wheelchair user or requires special assistance at any of our venues please inform Box O ce at the time of booking by emailing boxo ce@fringefest.com or phone us. Please refer to the venue page at the back of this brochure or fringefest.com/venues for accessibility information.

SIGNED & AUDIO PERFORMANCES

For information about ISL interpreted performances go to page 20. For Audio Described performances go to pages 52, 58 and 96. ISL interpreted (ISL DTP) and Audio Described (AD) performances are denoted on the Day-ByDay on pages 106-113.

GROUP DISCOUNTS

BIG NIGHTS

Please Note

Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before show time. Some events may be cancelled at late notice due to circumstances beyond our control. You will be eligible for a refund in this instance. No refund or exchanges unless the event is cancelled. Transaction fee of €2 per ticket applies to all tickets and is included in the price. All information in this brochure is correct at time of publication. Dublin Fringe Festival CLG reserves the right to make alterations to the programme and cannot be held accountable for cancellations, substitutions or changes.

Discounts are available for most shows to groups of 10+. Otherwise, ticket concessions are available in most cases for students, senior citizens or the unwaged.

JOIN OUR CREW!

Join us as a volunteer (ages 18+) to assist behind the scenes, from event management to marketing support. Volunteering with Dublin Fringe Festival o ers experience in the exciting world of festival making. To register your interest and for more information contact volunteers@fringefest.com

5 4 OUT Own the night with after-dark cabaret, clubbing and wrestling

CLASH AT THE QUAYS!

Ahmed, With Love.

Performance

16 September

18:45, €15/€13

Venue

The Complex — The Depot

Duration

210 mins

Live music meets the whacky world of professional wrestling. Join some of Ireland’s finest musicians; Ahmed, With Love., KhakiKid, Efé, Negro Impacto, Curtisy and Julia Louise Knifefist, for an allout musical brawl inside the squared circle of the wrestling ring for this one-night-only experience!

Be ready for strong-style and stronger rhythm, with flash, flame and poetry, combined with physical poetry in motion.

Supported by the PAN PAN Platform at Dublin Fringe Festival. Fuelled by Four Loko.

Please note Contains loud noise, smoke machines, strobe lighting and depictions of violence.

DISCO UTOPIA: PROTEST

Viola Gayvis, Lavender, Annie Queeries and Coco Ri

A Dublin Fringe Festival Commission

Performance

22 September

19:00, €15/€13

Venue

The Button Factory

Duration

150 mins

A wonderful expression of what the world of drag has to o er! Join four queens and their guests who will transport you on an unforgettable evening of glamour, glitter, art, sequins and show-stopping performances.

Developed at FRINGE LAB.

Please note Contains loud noise, smoke machines, and strobe lighting.

6 7 BIG NIGHTS OUT BIG NIGHTS OUT GIG - MUSIC - PERFORMANCE
Image Paula Trojner and Ahmed Karim Tamu
CABARET - PERFORMANCE - CLUB NIGHT
Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival Image Lavender

EGG: THE PROCLAMATION OF THE IRISH REPUBLEGG

Egg

Performance

16 September

19:15, €15/€13

Venue

National Stadium — Ringside Bar

Duration

150 mins

IRISH GAYS AND THEYS: In the name of cabaret, Ireland through EGG summons her queerest children to her flag to slay for her freedom…

Presented by Dublin’s spiciest queer collective, this is part dazzling DIY cabaret, part musical political rally for a new EGGshaped Irish Republic. Join non-binary revolutionary Aoife O’Connor and the first transgender member of Cumann na mBan Pea Dinneen, plus a glittering line-up of movers, shakers and makers o ering liberation through song, dance, comedy, drag and more, more, more!

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Please note Contains loud noise.

COMFORT CARNIVAL: CODA Club

Comfort

Co-commissioned by Dublin Fringe Festival & Project Arts Centre

Performance

9 September

14:00 - LATE, €25/€23

Venue

National Stadium — Ringside Bar

Dublin’s favourite party starters return to Dublin Fringe Festival. Riding high on their Radical Spirit Award win in 2019, Selky, Roo Honeychild and the gang are returning for a bigger and better show spotlighting a cross section of the art and music from the dynamic Irish underground. A careful curation of new acts will join some returning champions from 2019’s lineup.

Alongside this live performance, check out Club Comfort’s new book which contextualises dance and radical dancespaces in Irish history, in collaboration with Kate Butler and Project Press.

See fringefest.com for full schedule of events.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Winner of the 2019 Radical Spirit Award.

Please note Contains loud noise, smoke machines and strobe lighting. This performance partially takes place outdoors, please dress appropriately.

Image Faolán Carey, graphic design by Nick Leao

8 9 BIG NIGHTS OUT BIG NIGHTS OUT CABARET - CLUB NIGHT - PERFORMANCE
Image Anthony O’Connor
CLUB NIGHT - MUSIC - PARTY
A Dublin Fringe Festival Commission

SONGS OF THEYS

MarianMarythe6th

Preview

19 September

20:30, €11

Performances

20 - 24 September

20:30, €15/€13

Venue

Dublin Castle — Chapel Royal

Duration

90 mins

Say goodbye to the gender binary, and hello to non-binary finary as you join our choir of theyngels and sing along to your favourite queer hymns/hurrs/theys, all while worshipping our Theylord Shesus Christ. Can I get an A-Them!

Supported by An Grianán Theatre, Co. Donegal.

Please note Contains loud music, smoke machines, strobe lighting, partial nudity and references to mental health, suicide, sexual violence, homophobia, and transphobia.

Image Ciarán Mooney

SOME PLACE

NEW

Get lost in some place new - audio adventures, immersive experiences, live art installations, arts spaces and translation

PLAYS PLAYS PLAYS 11 10 BIG NIGHTS OUT CABARET - COMEDY - MUSIC

THE GARDEN OF SHADOWS

Jony Easterby

Performances

14 - 17, 19 & 20 September

20:30 - 22:30 (various times), €18/€16/€13

Other Performances

21 - 24 September

20:00 - 22:30 (various times), €18/€16/€13

Venue

National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

Duration 60 mins

Step into the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin to a world where art and nature converge, as you explore a series of immersive sound and light installations. This experience celebrates the beauty and interconnectedness of the natural world inviting you to appreciate a deeper understanding of our ecological surroundings.

This exclusive nighttime adventure brings you on a profound sensory journey through the mysteries of the night. An unforgettable experience as you navigate this intriguing garden, where nature is seen on the edge of darkness and light.

From the artist who brought you Remnant Ecologies in last year's edition of the Festival.

Supported by the Welsh Government O ce in Ireland and Wales Arts International.

Please note Contains the use of smoke machines and strobe lighting. This performance takes place outdoors, please dress appropriately.

13 12 SOME PLACE NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY - SITE SPECIFIC
Image Jony Easterby Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival in partnership with National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin and axis: Ballymun

SVARA SEVEN Sal Stapleton

Performances

9 - 11 September

11:00 - 18:00, Drop-In, Free

Venue

Temple Bar Gallery and Studios — Studio 6

Step into an interactive immersive installation, one that embodies freedom. A place that encloses, protects and provides support for the inner thoughts, desires and experiences of a gender fluid entity; the backbone to their existence.

Featuring seven reactive light columns that trigger sounds, all of which, when played, have a symbiosis to each other. A symbiosis that you the audience member can interact with, playing with elements of the world to create your own haven.

Please note Contains loud noise and flashing lights.

Image Sal Stapleton

BLUE THUNDER

Padraic Walsh

Co-Presented by Cathal Cleary Theatre & Kelly Phelan

Previews

9 September

19:00 & 21:00, €11

Performances

11 - 16 & 18 - 23 September

19:00 & 21:00, €15/€13

Meeting Point

10-13 Thomas St

Duration

50 mins

It’s 3am and taxi-driver Brian is not taking any more fares.

But then his drunk sons show up and one of them has a plan to do something horrendous, tonight.

And you’re all coming with him.

Padraic Walsh’s award-winning immersive play — staged entirely within a minibus at a city centre location — examines what happens when the people who should be there for you have nothing left to give.

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Supported by The Digital Hub and FRINGE LAB.

Please note This performance partially takes place outdoors, please dress appropriately.

Image How much for cash, 2021, oil on canvas. Joshua Miels

14 15 SOME PLACE NEW SOME PLACE NEW VISUAL ART – INSTALLATION – INTERACTIVE
A Dublin Fringe Festival Commission
THEATRE - IMMERSIVE - SITE SPECIFIC

TWO HUNDRED DEER TO EVERY LION

bluehouse theatre

Preview

9 September

13:00, €11

Performances

9, 10, 15 - 17, 22 & 23 September

14:00, 15:00, €15/€13

Other Performances

10, 15 - 17, 22 & 23 September

13:00, €15/€13

Meeting Point

Phoenix Park — Wellington Monument

Duration

40 mins

Where do one million Dubliners, six hundred deer and three lions cross paths?

Join celebrity historian Bláthnaid Brennan as she embarks into the wild green yonder of the Phoenix Park. Learn everything there is to learn. Rigorously researched; pleasantly presented.

But is there only one history? Your tour is commandeered by a dreamer with an urgent message. There’s a river running where the road used to be. The Wellington Monument has exploded.

A play through headphones, live in Phoenix Park.

Developed at FRINGE LAB and Scene+Heard. Supported by Dublin Fringe Festival's Make Space for Art fund.

Please note This performance takes place outdoors with some routes taking place o main pathways, please dress appropriately.

FAD CAMP PODCAST LIVE

Conor Dowling & Grace Mulvey

Performance

17 September

18:30, €13/€11

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 2

Duration 60 mins

Ireland’s only comedy anti-diet podcast is bringing their irreverent, hilarious, and revealing stories to the stage in their first live show for Dublin Fringe Festival. Selfproclaimed fad diet connoisseurs comedian Grace Mulvey and co-host Conor Dowling tackle diet culture one crazy diet at a time.

Ever brought a baked potato to a pub to stay ‘on plan’? Ever gotten a hypnotic gastric band to reduce your appetite? Well, Grace and Conor have. This show is for anyone who has ever stood on a scale, added up points or tried to detox their way to happiness.

Please note Contains references to eating disorders.

16 17 SOME PLACE NEW SOME PLACE NEW AUDIO EXPERIENCE - THEATRE - SITE SPECIFIC
COMEDY - PODCAST - TALK
Image

YOU’RE NEEDY ( SOUNDS FRUSTRATING ) tasteinyourmouth

Preview

14 September

17:30, €11

Performances

14, 15, 19 – 22 September

19:30 & 21:00, €15/€13

Other Performances

16, 17 & 23 September

14:00, 16:00, 18:30, 20:30

15, 19 – 22 September

17:30, €15/€13

Meeting Point

Pembroke Cottages

Duration

35 mins

Carrie’s moved into her bathroom. She’s living on slim noodles, chopped parsley baths and Snail-Mucus-Whale-Placenta Face Masks (™).

Every week she’s visited by a volunteer hired to help her reintegrate into society. This week, it’s your turn.

An o site experience for one audience member touching on monotony, meditation, medication, and, of course, Gwyneth Paltrow.

It’s time to peel o those cucumbers and take a long hard look at yourself.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Supported by Dublin Fringe Festival’s Make Space For Art Fund. Supported by Corcadorca, Pavilion Theatre, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Shawbrook Residential, PAN PAN Starter Programme and Camden People’s Theatre.

Please note Contains loud noise, smoke machines, strobe lighting, partial nudity and references to mental health, suicide, and eating disorders.

Image Allie Whelan

A SYMBIOTIC SYMPHONIC MOVEMENT

Laura Skehan with Clíona Ní Laoi, Masaya Ozaki & Banu Çiçek Tülü

Performances

9 - 11 September

20:30, €15/€13

Venue National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin — The Teak House Duration

60 mins

An evening of weaving individual and collective experiences through sound. It is a story of connection, of adapting, of placemaking and loss.

A research-led project initiated and curated by Laura Skehan, featuring composers Clíona Ní Laoi, Masaya Ozaki and Banu Çiçek Tülü, who will be performing experimental sonic and music responses to migrating plant data. Join them after hours in the historic Teak House glasshouse of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Supported by Dublin Fringe Festival’s Make Space for Art fund.

Please note Contains loud noise. Unseated with limited seating available.

Image Laura Skehan

18 19 SOME PLACE NEW SOME PLACE NEW LIVE ART - SITE SPECIFIC - INTERACTIVE
MUSIC - SITE SPECIFIC - INTERDISCIPLINARY

ISL DEAF TRANSLATIONS PROJECT Lianne Quigley &

ISL Team

Interpreting

Once in a Lifetime (p71)

11 September

21:00, €18/€16

This is You (p82)

17 September

18:30, €14/€12

HOTHOUSE (p86)

16 September

13:00, €18/€16

This year’s Dublin Fringe Festival sees the foundation of an exciting new commission, led by artist and Deaf interpreter Lianne Quigley. Aiming to bridge the gap between the stage and Deaf audiences, Lianne will lead a specialised team of Deaf and hearing interpreters as they o er an enriched, more inclusive Dublin Fringe for all, through interpreted performances of three productions.

A celebration of Irish Sign Language (ISL) and a vital step towards recognising the cultural heritage of the Irish Deaf Community, this project facilitates and

promotes team-interpreting in the theatre context. It goes beyond the familiar model of ‘hearing interpreter signing to Deaf audience’ and brings Deaf culture, creativity and representation to the fore.

This pioneering collaboration between Dublin Fringe Festival and Lianne Quigley marks an important step closer to a more accessible and inclusive artistic landscape in Ireland.

21 20 SOME PLACE NEW
TRANSLATION - PERFORMANCE - THEATRE
Image Paddy Cahill A Dublin Fringe Festival Commission

PHASE New Arts Space

Exhibition

9 - 24 September

13:00 - 18:00, Drop-In, Free

Performances

9, 16 & 23 September

19:00, €15/€13

Venue

Phase Space Arts

Duration

120 mins (Performances)

Whether you are an artist looking for a space that nurtures your creativity or an art enthusiast seeking unique and thoughtprovoking experiences, you are welcome to this multimedia creative space. Here, art flourishes and innovative technology and artistic expression thrives.

Come to the exhibition of digital art, short film, painting and electronic music exploring the minds of artists, alongside three weekend gigs showcasing the best of live music, traditional and digital art and sound.

Full programme can be found on fringefest.com

Self funded by artists for artists.

Image Conan Wynne

PLAYS PLAYS PLAYS 22 23 SOME PLACE NEW CURATION - EXHIBITION - PERFORMANCE
STITCHES Uproarious stand-up, alternative and interactive comedy experiences IN

GRL/LATNX/DEF Lara Ricote

Performances

16 & 17

September

21:00, €18/€16

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration 60 mins

Lara’s a small Latin American girl (woman?) who won the 2021 Funny Women Stage Award (right, ‘woman’) and is now doing a show about what it’s like to be Latin and deaf and a girl who’s now a woman at the same time. You know, minority jokes for majority crowds.

Winner of Dave’s Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Fringe 2022.

Represented by IAM.

Image Steve Ullathorne

25 24 IN STITCHES COMEDY
Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival

TINY PIANO MAN

David O’Doherty

Preview

19 September

21:00, €14

Performances

20 - 23 September

21:00, €18/€16

Other Performance

23 September

13:00, €18/€16

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration 60 mins

The dishevelled prince of €10 eBay keyboards tries to make you feel alive with a new pageant of laughter, song and occasionally getting up from a chair. It’s gonna be a big one.

B.S. INCORPORATED

Broad Strokes Improv

Performances

11 - 14 & 18 - 21 September

18:30, €13/€11

Venue All My Friends Duration 50 mins

B.S. Incorporated: Powerful. Ambitious. Sexy. Business-y.

It’s time to whip out the filofaxes and start breaking that glass ceiling! Dublin’s hottest all-women improv troupe invites you to their inaugural business summit for an improvised show unlike any other.

Based on your suggestions and presentation slides they’ve never seen, Broad Strokes will perform an entirely improvised keynote speech. Scandals, allegations and corporate backstabbing will run riot, but only YOU will get to decide the company’s successor. What could go wrong?

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Image Owen Clarke

26 27 IN STITCHES IN STITCHES COMEDY
COMEDY - INTERACTIVE
The Lisa Richards Agency.

TONY CANTWELL’S SKETCH SHOW

Performances

21 - 23 September

18:15, €16/€14

Other Performance

23 September

13:00, €16/€14

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — 1662

Duration 60 mins

SOUP

Alison Spittle

Performances

13 - 17 September

20:45, €16/€14

Other Performance

16 September

13:00, €16/€14

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — 1662

Duration 60 mins

Comedian du jour, Alison Spittle is simmering with jokes and probably rage. She doesn’t know what the burning sensation is.

Alison is making her triumphant return to Dublin Fringe Festival fresh from a sellout Edinburgh Festival Fringe and being voted one of British Comedy Guide’s best reviewed shows.

The Lisa Richards Agency.

Please note Contains references to mental health and depictions of violence.

Step into the whimsical world of Tony Cantwell. Renowned for his stand-up comedy, the man Hot Press called ‘The 2nd Best Comedian in Ireland’ returns to his first love with a night dedicated solely to sketch comedy.

Prepare to be captivated by a medley of music, surreal sketches, cinematic moments, and puppets! With special appearances from familiar faces, this extravaganza promises an unforgettable evening of trippy laughter.

Aviary Talent.

Developed at FRINGE LAB.

Image Kevin Goss-Ross

29 28 IN STITCHES IN STITCHES COMEDY
COMEDY
Image Karla Gowlett

CRAIC DEN AS GAEILGE

The Craic Den Comedy Club

Performances

10 & 17 September

20:30, €15/€13

Venue

Whelan’s — Little Whelan’s

Duration

90 mins

One of Dublin’s best comedy clubs is presenting an all new Irish language line-up, gathering top Irish comedians to stretch out their comedy chops through the medium of Irish. Expect big names, big laughs and big Duolingo vibes.

From the person with the cúpla focail, those who are líofa lofa, to native speakers. Join us as we have the craic and poke fun at our first language.

STARS Hannah Mamalis

Preview

20 September

21:15, €11

Performances

21 - 23 September

21:15, €15/€13

Other Performances

22 & 23 September

13:15, €15/€13

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Cube

Duration

55 mins

See the man with the neck brace sitting next to you on the bus muttering to himself. The old woman you have a stando with by your bins every morning. The mould growing on your ceiling you start to imagine is winking at you from the corner of your eye.

We are all in the gutters. We’ve been here for a while and we’ve been waiting for you.

Sketch, characters and finding your way back to the end.

Developed at FRINGE LAB and Scene+Heard.

30 31 IN STITCHES IN STITCHES COMEDY
COMEDY - THEATRE
Image Eddie Mullarkey Image Molly Keane

THE SMALL PALE NERD AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Colm O’Regan

Preview

14 September

18:30, €11

Performances

15, 17 - 19 & 21 - 22 September

18:30, €13/€11

Venue

The Circular Duration

60 mins

A comedy performance exploring boyhood, manhood, fatherhood, neighbourhood, sound masculinity, and the looming apocalypse.

Along the way, find out how to use an old-fashioned obscene gesture to reach out to the Tater Tots, how to redirect racists to more useful feelings, how to follow in your father’s footsteps but in your own way, and how to just be a bit more useful.

FLIRT

Grace Mulvey

Preview

14 September

20:30, €11

Performances

15, 18 - 19 & 21 - 22 September

20:30, €13/€11

Venue

The Circular Duration

60 mins

Tragedy. Strength. Resilience… blah blah blah. Grace is sick of life being such a downer.

What happened to fun, carbs and awkward flirting? Explore life’s greatest challenges; how to get out of bottomless brunch alive, become an adult woman and still be a legend.

32 33 IN STITCHES IN STITCHES COMEDY
COMEDY
The Lisa Richards Agency. Image Ruthless Imagery

ARE YOU MAD AT ME?

Fiona Frawley

Preview

11 September 18:00, €11

Performances

12 - 15 September

18:00, €13/€11

Other Performance

16 September

13:00, €13/€11

Venue

The International Bar

Duration 60 mins

A comedic deep dive into one woman’s paranoia, how it aligns with the paranoia of generations of women before her and why.

Assuming everyone hates you is a fun, totally healthy way of going through life, and Fiona’s here to prove it.

BUT HE’S GAY

Shane Daniel Byrne

Preview

19 September

20:45, €12

Performances

20 - 23 September

20:45, €16/€14

Other Performance

23 September

15:00, €16/€14

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — 1662

Duration 60 mins

The award winning Shane Daniel Byrne is Irish comedy’s new wonderkid (in his mid 30s). Once considered an exciting talent of contemporary performance art in Dublin he messed that up and now he’s a comedian.

Join him for his fierce and fiery début hour about whatever is wrong with him.

Aviary Talent.

34 35 IN STITCHES IN STITCHES COMEDY
COMEDY
The Lisa Richards Agency. Image Gary Byrne

CALM John Meagher

Preview

18 September

18:00, €11

Performances

19 - 22 September

18:00, €13/€11

Other Performance

23 September

13:00, €13/€11

Venue

The International Bar

Duration

55 mins

RHAPSODIES

How do you keep calm when everything around you seems designed to wind you up?

This standup show is about what growing up in the North during the Troubles before moving to Britain does to you.

John has to find out why he’s so stressed and how to keep his blood pressure down before a minor heart defect becomes a major one!

Please note Contains depictions of violence.

Image Bekor

Musical fantasias, high-octane gigs and mesmerising experiences

PLAYS PLAYS PLAYS 36 37 IN STITCHES COMEDY

ONLY AN OCTAVE APART

Justin Vivian Bond & Anthony Roth Costanzo

Presented by Gate Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival

Preview

5 September

19:30, €40/€30/€15

Performances

6 - 10 September

19:30, €45/€35/€15

Venue

Gate Theatre

Duration 90 mins

This is a joyous and surprising musical fantasia, revelling in everything strange and beautiful in the coexistence of contrasts.

They express their queer identities through unique interpretations of classical, pop, and hybrids of the two, making the gendered history of the music their plaything, carving new pathways between opera and politically subversive cabaret.

Only An Octave Apart is presented in association with Creative Partners Productions and Justin Vivian Bond, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Zack Winokur.

Please note Contains strobe lighting.

Image Ruvén Afanador

BLACK JAM

Fried Plantains Collective

Performance

15 September

20:00 – LATE, €13/€11

Venue BelloBar

A showcase of powerful live music and ballads from Dublin’s alternative composers. Their experimental dark-wave, Afro-electro grime and hard hitting punk will explore themes of intimacy, esotericism and loneliness in our current state of being.

Acts include the Dutch lesbian rap duo LIONSTORM, gothic sounds and visuals of Nicol Faer and Leo Pellegatta, Coolgirl, Cami, melodic mantras from Ruairi Conneely and many more.

So, put on your stomping boots and get ready to dance.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Supported by FRINGE LAB X field:arts and by the Centre Culturel Irlandais and Dublin Fringe Festival’s Romilly Walton Masters Award.

Please note Contains loud noise. Unseated with limited seating available.

38 39 RHAPSODIES RHAPSODIES MUSIC - CABARET - THEATRE
CLUB NIGHT - MUSIC - PARTY
Image Ana Lucia Mondoloni

OSCAILT

Jennifer Walshe

Co-Presented by Music Network & Dublin Fringe Festival

Performance

19 September

19:30, €16/€14

Venue

Samuel Beckett Theatre

Duration

70 mins

See the world through the eyes of our digital natives.

A multi-media composition for sound and video by the amazing force of nature that is Jennifer Walshe.

Imagine a place where a phone tower is planted next to a holy well and Facebook employees at data centres tend beehives in a nod to medieval monks. No need to imagine it, we are living it.

Co-created with Irish secondary school students and performed by Jennifer Walshe (vocals), Elizabeth Hilliard (soprano), Nick Roth (saxophone) and Panos Ghikas (multiinstrumentalist/electronics), this piece explores growing up in a world mediated by technology.

Commissioned by Music Network. Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Supported by the ESB Energy for Generations Fund.

Image Jennifer Walshe

THE KING OF ALL BIRDS

Martha Knight

Preview

11 September

18:30, €11

Performances

14 - 16 September

21:15, €15/€13

Other Performances

12 September 18:30

15 & 16 September

13:15, €15/€13

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Cube

Duration

60 mins

We’re obsessed with seeing ourselves from above. We display aerial photos of our homes, we gather in our masses to watch men fly, and, every couple of hundred years, we crown a king.

This is a fresh and playful trad gig for voice and vocoder. It picks apart our shared history with the sky: the years when it remained untouched, those first ventures into it, and now, our endless climbing: up, and up, and up.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Funded by the Arts Council / An Comhairle Ealaíon. Supported by the PAN PAN Platform at Dublin Fringe Festival and by PAN PAN’s International Mentorship Programme 2021.

Please note Contains loud noise.

Image Owen Clarke

40 41 RHAPSODIES RHAPSODIES MUSIC - INTERDISCIPLINARY
MUSIC - LIVE ART - THEATRE

NOWHERE BETTER THAN THIS PLACE

Andy Ingamells & Seán Clancy

Performances

9 - 13 September

20:30, €15/€13

Venue

Dublin Castle — Chapel Royal

Duration

45 mins

Solemn and seductive music for multiple synthesisers, live and recorded concrète sounds, physical theatre and projected concrete poetry about people needing a safe place to call home.

Serious and thought-provoking yet ultimately uplifting, the performance combines rich visual imagery with familiar domestic soundscapes.

Developed at Contemporary Music Centre.

Image Irene Murphy, The Guesthouse Project

LIFE, ITSELF Sonic Makeup

Preview

14 September

18:45, €11

Performances

15 & 16 September

18:45, €14/€12

Other Performance

16 September

15:30, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Black Box

Duration

60 mins

ÓDÚ brings her one woman album to Dublin Fringe Festival. Brimming with anthemic pop songs, this is a concept album with a twist — a semi-autobiographical piece of gig theatre and a debut LP from one of Ireland’s brightest new songwriting talents.

Exploring the highs and lows of living life outside the norm while the city contracts and friends and communities drift further away, the tyranny of individual ambition, and the struggle to maintain platonic love in a world obsessed with romance.

Developed at FRINGE LAB.

Please note Contains loud noise and references to mental health.

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GIG - MUSIC - THEATRE
Image Yosef Phelan

PERMISSION GRANTED

Abigail Smith & Lioba Petrie

Preview

16 September

14:00, €11

Performances

16 & 17 September

20:30, €15/€13

Other Performance

17 September

14:00, €15/€13

Venue

Dublin Castle — Chapel Royal

Duration 60 mins

What is holding you back creatively? Come along and journey into a landscape of sound with musical duo Lioba Petrie and Abigail Smith as they will provide a meditative space for you to relax and reflect in Dublin Castle’s beautiful chapel.

Participate if you wish by sending us your voice notes in advance or written notes at the event. This will be used as source material for their improvisation. Fill in the blank ‘I give myself permission to ’

Developed at IMC Cooler Space.

Image Brid O’Donovan

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ARTIST SUPPORT 45

FRINGE LAB is both studio space and a yearround hub for artist support opportunities.

FRINGE LAB provides year-round practical and artistic support, responding to the needs of the Irish artistic community with an ongoing schedule of workshops, expert masterclasses, networking events, scratch nights and a host of other activities devoted to cultivating connections and expertise for both developing and established artists. This year, events include a Touring Workshop, Fringe Fuse: Love Incubator curated by Diana Bamimeke, co-presented workshops with Irish Theatre Institute, CREATE, Dead Centre and The Civic, two Supper Clubs, and Elevenses, a monthly open co ee morning.

In 2022 FRINGE LAB was delighted to announce the Break New Ground Bursary, to support an artist who has not led a project at Dublin Fringe Festival before, towards developing an ambitious new idea for live performance. The recipients of this bursary were Kate Dunne who presents her work Sl(t)áinte this year and Alessandra Azevedo who is presenting their work Terra in 2024. For 2023, our resident artists are Nick Nikolaou, Sam Killian and Trudie Gorman.

SPACE

FRINGE LAB is home to artists all year round, providing dedicated free rehearsal and workspace for the development of new work as well as studio space for hire. Studio 1 is free for the development of new work; the Workstation o ce is free for any artist looking for an o ce space in town and Studio 2 is available for hire at subsidised rates for artists. FRINGE LAB also has a host of great equipment available, from podcasting equipment to self-tape setup, so get in touch!

EFFECT

Many of the artists supported through FRINGE LAB have gone on to debut in Dublin Fringe Festival and elsewhere. This year’s festival is home to two past recipients of the Dream On bursary, four past Artist at Work residents, four past Weft participants, six past Resident Artists, eight artists who were supported by FRINGE 50 and many more who have engaged in our workshops programme and rehearsed in-house.

CONNECT

Contact Artistic Projects Manager Bee if you would like to find out how we can support you as an artist email bee@fringefest.com

FRINGE LAB established Artist at Work in 2020. These paid idea development residencies take place with host venues across Ireland over our festival dates, shining a light on artistic process and the often invisible work done by artists.

ANDREA WILLIAMS is an Irish-Cape Verdean multidisciplinary artist based in Cork. She moves between di erent mediums such as dance, experimental theatre, visual arts and directing. Recent work includes Hive City Legacy at Dublin Fringe Festival 2022, EPG (Exploitation, Power, Greed) with Olympio, and Dubh for FeliSpeaks. Most of her work is a search and reconnecting with her lost African heritage as well as making connections between cultures. She created, and performed in, UNDEFINED which was presented as part of Cork Midsummer Festival 2023.

In partnership with CoisCéim, Dublin.

JENNI NIKINMAA is a playwright and theatre-maker from Finland, based in Inishmore, Aran Islands. She works with immersive, poetic plays and experiences that often escape outside traditional theatre space. Currently, she is developing a play called Sheep, which is about sheep (not about humans. Or humanity) within the FUEL development programme with Druid Theatre. She is also writing about bold birds. In partnership with Interface, Connemara.

CAL MCELWEE is a multi-disciplininary queer theatremaker based in Belfast, who focuses on representing queer people in larger than life, fantastical scenarios (like spies and superheroes). Paper Moon tells the story of a queer kid bringing their own imaginary fantasy kingdom to life using only paper, projections and whatever words pop into their head. It discusses queer escapism, solitude and the simple joy that can come from just making stu up.

In partnership with The MAC, Belfast.

FRINGE LAB ARTIST AT WORK

GOBLINSGOBLINSGOBLINS is a drag queen and character comedian who has been confused for neither. Born in the Dublin cabaret scene their favourite characters are unqualified passive aggressive monsters. During this residency, they will be working on Cornucopia Jones Wants You To Succeed! In this piece you’re invited on a self-help odyssey from a warmly shameless life coach who wants to empower YOU! with the elite secret of lying. In partnership with Irish Theatre Institute, Dublin.

CHINEDUM MUOTTO is a multi-disciplinary artist, cultural producer, researcher, and educator. The multi-disciplinary nature of his work allows for the weaving of stories that are elaborate yet simple, and his tireless use of ‘found objects’ or the colloquial both in the physical and conceptual allows for the permeation of ideas that mutate across boundaries and space. Play features heavily within his creative process. In partnership with Irish Theatre Institute, Dublin.

47 SUPPORT
Photo Rema Hamid performing at Fringe Fuse: Love Incubator
46

ARTISTS

Introducing the Associate Artists for Dublin Fringe Festival 2023. We are thrilled to welcome Shanna May Breen and Dafe Orugbo to our team. These two exciting independent artists bring with them a wealth of cross-industry experience and innovative talents across various art forms. Their unique perspectives, skills, and mentorship will contribute to the growth and development of the Dublin Fringe community. As an organisation, we have always placed artists at the heart of our compass, and these new roles aim to provide improved career sustainability for artists in our city.

WEFT

Weft is a Dublin Fringe Festival initiative that focuses on talent development and network building for emerging and early career Black artists and artists of the global majority*. Responding to the lack of support and holistic understanding for Black artists and artists of the global majority early in their careers in Ireland, the Weft studio creates space for these artists to learn more about their own creative habits, develop their artistic skills and take the lead in creating their own work on their own terms.

Weft Studio was first launched in 2022 to address this gap, by interweaving individual artist supports with practical project development opportunities within a community of peers who have experiences of what it is like to live and work in Ireland as a Black artist or artist of the global majority. This year a group of eight artists will participate in the Weft Studio programme from August 2023-February 2024. This will be led by award-winning writer and creative producer Shannon Yee, with provocations from international mentors.

Dafe Orugbo, a multidisciplinary artist, boasts an impressive artistic practice and extensive industry experience. His passion lies in creating art that centres around the audience’s experience, as evidenced by his work with Dublin Fringe Festival and the Word Up Collective. Dafe’s remarkable musical career as one half of hip-hop duo Tebi Rex has garnered international acclaim, with two albums released and tours across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. As a writer, spoken word artist, podcaster, and public speaker, Dafe covers a range of topics, from modern-day Ireland to Greek mythology. His project Filmore! at the 2022 Dublin Fringe Festival fused interactive art installations with live performances, drawing inspiration from internet and meme culture. Dafe’s commitment to mentorship is evident in his teaching of hip-hop, spoken word, and songwriting classes for the Word Up Collective, impacting the lives of young people through initiatives like Criunniú na nÓg, Youth Reach Tallaght, and Music Generation.

Shanna May Breen, a performance artist, creates multi-platform artworks to provoke change. Inspired by nature, place and community, her projects ambitiously invite audiences through city streets, back gardens, beaches and performance spaces.

Shanna demonstrates a unique approach to stretching out climate conversations by creating projects that have long-term impacts. Her previous works such as Root at Dublin Theatre Festival 2021 and 1000 Miniature Meadows at Dublin Fringe Festival 2020 initiated large-scale native planting projects across the island of Ireland.

Shanna’s most recent project, GULL, cocommissioned by the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival 2022, showcased the work of multidisciplinary artists in a celebration of Dublin’s (sea)gulls. Shanna is currently collaborating on a walking project titled Walkscape, where she is walking the length of Ireland in 2023, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. Her dedication to the environment and the arts is reflected in her mentoring of fellow artists and her involvement in a solo climate start-up.

*Language note: we use ‘people of the global majority’ in instances where we can’t be specific about ethnicity or background. We have worked with What If Experiment to review our processes and procedures through an anti-racist lens. Decolonising language and de-centring whiteness was a key component of that learning.

In 2023 Dublin Fringe Festival and Earagail Arts Festival partnered for the first time on a new Weft residency programme with Afro-Brazilian dancer Alessandra Azevedo to support the development of her new work Terra and to build connections with communities and dancers of all backgrounds across Donegal. Terra will be presented as part of next year’s festival with the support of our Break New Ground Bursary.

Want to join the Weft community? Become a member of the Audience Club and see shows at the festival for free hosted by Co-Ordinator Khanyisile Mbukwane. Visit fringefest.com for more information.

If you would like to know more about Weft Studio, please email weft@fringefest.com.

Weft is proudly funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon with support from the British Council Ireland.

Weft was previously funded by the Arts Council’s Open Call Award 2021 and was conceived through conversations with Origins Eile and Carys D. Coburn.

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In weaving, the ‘weft’ refers to the horizontal threads that delicately interlace to form the woven foundation, providing strength and cohesion to a tapestry on a loom.
ASSOCIATE
48

18TH ANNUAL INFORMATION

TOOLBOX

Friday 15 September

Each year, Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) runs the networking event at Dublin Fringe Festival in partnership with Culture Ireland. Now in its 18th year, ITI’s INFORMATION TOOLBOX o ers theatre and dance artists/ companies presenting work in Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 to engage with programmers, presenters and potential collaborators from across Ireland and from abroad.

Further details including venue and time is available on fringefest.com and irishtheatreinstitute.ie

How it Works

You must register to attend. In advance of the event, you will be given a timetable of one-to-one meetings. You’ll have the chance to meet programmers and presenters, present your show to venues and festivals, hear from other artists about their upcoming work, and build your network of connections at home and internationally.

Registration Details

Registration will open on Thursday 13 July and close on Sunday 27 August.

Capacity is limited — early registration is strongly advised.

You must be presenting a theatre or dance show at Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 to register.

SHOW AND TELL

Artist Pitching at Dublin Fringe Show and Tell is a curated pitching opportunity for Irish artists for work that has been made, and work that is in development. It is an opportunity for artists not programmed in Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 to pitch their work. It is coordinated and curated by Culture Ireland and Irish Theatre Institute in partnership with Dublin Fringe Festival.

Selection to participate in Show and Tell is by open call which will be launched later this summer. Selected artists will share their projects with an eye to securing development support, collaborations, presenting partners, touring opportunities, and other necessary support. The session will take place during the festival for invited national and international presenters and programmers. Artists will be provided with training in how to pitch your work in advance of the presentations.

Details available on cultureireland.ie

DUETS

Irish Theatre Institute (ITI), Fishamble: The New Play Company and Dublin Fringe Festival have paused the DUETS initiative for 2022-3. Through the shifts of the last two years, ITI, Fishamble and Dublin Fringe Festival took the opportunity to solicit feedback and undertake research to identify the resources and supports now most needed by the sector.

The DUETS partners are excited to be announcing the next iteration of our partnership in late 2023. For now, each partner will continue to support idea and artist development through our existing and new artist support programmes.

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51
Thrilling feats of dance, circus and physical performance that you have to see to believe
ARTIST
Information Toolbox is supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Culture Ireland.
NETWORK

THE DAN DAW SHOW

Dan Daw Creative Projects

Performances

22 & 23 September

18:15, €18/€16

Audio Described Performance

23 September 18:15, €18/16

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration 90 mins (no interval)

Taking ownership of the beautiful mess that encompasses all that he is, Dan lets go of who he once was to make room for who he wants to be.

This show is a peep into the shiny and sweaty push pull of living with shame while bursting with pride. It is about care, intimacy, resilience and joy — about letting go and reclaiming yourself.

Joined in an intimate evening of play by performer and collaborator Christopher Owen.

Nominated for the 2021 National Dance Awards and the 2022 UK Theatre Achievement in Dance Award.

Supported using public funding from Arts Council England through project grants. Originally conceived as part of Jerwood Choreographic Research Project II and commissioned in 2019/20 by Sadler’s Wells, Arts House Melbourne, DanceHub Birmingham, The Lowry, Déda, Cambridge Junction, DanceXchange and Dance4. Supported by Shoreditch Town Hall and Candoco Dance Company.

A pre-access session is available one hour before all performances for those who may benefit from it. All performances are relaxed and captioned. See fringefest.com for information.

Please note Contains depictions of violence, and features loud noise, smoke machines and strobe lighting. See fringefest.com for extensive list of event warnings.

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BODYSCAPES
Image Hugo Glendinning Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival

HAUS OF FASH HUN

FemmeBizarre

Preview

20 September

18:30, €11

Performances

21 - 23 September

18:30, €15/€13

Other Performance

23 September

13:00, €15/€13

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 1

Duration

60 mins

A glittering explosion of gut-punching aerial, heart-pounding electronic music, (some questionable decisions), and of course… FASH HUN.

Magda and Bibi are fierce, they’re fabulous, they’re dripping in pretence. In truth, they’re a hot mess. In bits. But this is the Haus the Huns built, and they’ll do anything to keep the dream alive.

Step into their world for one final showdown and let them take you on a whirlwind journey of joyous transformation.

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Image Hazel Coonagh

TEXTURE LIKE SUN

Diarmuid Armstrong Mayock

Preview

12 September

20:00, €13

Performance

13 September

20:00, €15/€13

Other Performance

14 September

13:30, €15/€13

Venue

Samuel Beckett Theatre

Duration 60 mins

This dance-theatre piece follows three characters as they spiral through their cycles of substance dependency. It is a bleak observation of the psychological process of addiction, with absurd flashes of humour and dark comedy, switching between feelings of gloomy despair and euphoric bliss. The Irish choreographic debut of Diarmuid Armstrong Mayock. Featuring music by Dee Armstrong (Kila) and Lughaidh Armstrong (Sky Atlas).

Please note Contains the use of smoke machines and themes of addiction.

Matthew Gorman

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DANCE - MUSIC - THEATRE
Image

WHAT IS NOT OURS TO CARRY

Preview

21 September

18:30, €13

Performance

22 September

18:30, €15/€13

Other Performance

22 September

13:30, €15/€13

Venue

Samuel Beckett Theatre

Duration 60 mins

Who would you be if you hadn’t tried so hard to be yourself?

Perception meets liberation as we explore the intricacies of the expectations and bias which cloud our daily interactions. Are we doomed to live in the boxes built for us by others?

Through contemporary dance and live music this immersive performance challenges preconceived notions and invites reflection into the true self.

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and supported by the Mermaid Arts Centre, axis Ballymun and Arts and Disability Connect. Developed at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, the Courthouse Arts Centre, The Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Performact.

Please note Contains the use of smoke machines.

Image Amy Trucks

Kate Dunne

Preview

14 September

18:15, €11

Performances

15 & 16 September

13:30, €15/€13

Other Performance

15 September

18:15, €15/€13

Exhibition

15 September,

14:45 - 17:15, Drop-In, Free

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 1

Duration

60 mins

Incorporating circus, theatre and installation art, this show immerses the audience into a ‘body horror’ telling of a culmination of personal experiences of Irish healthcare and broader systemic issues. Confronting gendered issues in the Irish healthcare system, the show raises questions surrounding Irish history and healthcare, the public/private divide, sexuality, and a general lack of listening and understanding to women’s voices amongst others.

Drop in to the exhibition to experience the show’s immersive set.

Supported by FRINGE LAB’s Break New Ground Bursary.

Please note Contains references to mental health, themes of child bereavement, smoke machines and strobe lighting. Unseated with limited seating available.

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CIRCUS - INSTALLATION - INTERDISCIPLINARY SL ( T ) ÁINTE
Image Aoibhín Killeen and Ryan Blackwell

MOSH Rachel Ní Bhraonáin

Preview

13 September

18:15, €14

Performances

14 - 17 September

18:15, €18/€16

Audio Described Performance

17 September

18:15, €18/€16

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration 60 mins

This is the thrill of fighting, without the fear. This is a dance, a gig, a theatrical shove into the heart of the pit. This is a community connected through music and risk.

With live music, real interviews, humour, heart and a whole lot of headbanging, five performers dive into the deeper meaning behind a misunderstood subculture. Is this violence or dancing? What are the rules? What do bacteria and moshers have in common? And why would anyone do it?

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Waterford City & County Council, with support from ArtLinks, field:arts, Firkin Crane, and Garter Lane Arts Centre. Originally developed at the 8th PanPan International Mentorship and VISUAL Carlow.

Please note Contains loud noise, smoke machines, strobe lighting and references to violence.

Image Richard Mooney and Luke Carparelli

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BODYSCAPES 58

RESONANCE

Chloe Commins

Preview

11 September

18:15, €11

Performances

14 & 15 September

21:00, €15/€13

Other Performance

12 September

18:15, €15/€13

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 1

Duration 45 mins

A journey into a world of the unspoken, inspired by growing up CODA (Child of Deaf Adult).

This show explores shifting roles and relationships, connection and presence for someone living in two di erent worlds simultaneously.

The narrative follows the blurred lines experienced by someone straddling parallel cultures. As interpreter, a filter, a voice for those without and as someone’s daughter.

A performance told through circus, physical theatre, light and ISL (Irish Sign Language).

Developed at FRINGE LAB and Scene+Heard. Supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Please note Contains loud noise and flashing lights.

Image Simon Hutchinson

PERSONA METROPOLITANA

Annachiara Vispi & Giulia Macrì

Preview

19 September

21:15, €11

Performances

20 - 23 September

21:15, €14/€12

Other Performance

23 September

13:30, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Black Box

Duration 60 mins

This is Giulia.

Like 55% of us, Giulia lives in a city. It is predicted that by 2050, almost 70% of us will live in a city - two thirds of the people on the planet.

Giulia wonders if we’ll all fit. Giulia doubts it.

A piece for an actor and a dancer set on an imaginary Rome metro carriage / Paris RER line / New York subway / seat on the Tube / last Dart home.

In cities we feel invisible, Giulia thinks. Or free.

Developed at FRINGE LAB.

Please note Contains smoke machines, strobe lighting and references to mental health.

Image Elena Costa

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THEATRE - DANCE - INTERDISCIPLINARY

RED LINES

Monika Palova & Sean McIlraith

Preview 20 September 21:00, €11

Performances

21 - 23 September 21:00, €15/€13

Other Performance

23 September

16:00, €15/€13

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 1

Duration 50 mins

When you look in the mirror, who looks back at you?

Through contemporary circus and physical theatre, the performers delve into nostalgia, inner conflict, acceptance, memories and the complexities of what creates the self over time.

Where self-perception defies logic and reveals its fluid nature, the inner world is ever changing and forever fragile. Expect aerial feats, hair hanging, and women supporting women (literally.)

Developed at Scene+Heard. Supported by Taking Flight: Education & Performance.

Please note Contains loud noise, strobe lighting and depictions of violence.

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BODYSCAPES 62
Image Monika Palova

UNITED ON THE DANCE FLOOR!

We eagerly anticipate your presence at this year’s festival club. We want you to unleash your radiant spirit, edgy expressions, and most daring moves. Together, let us revel in the electrifying sounds of epic DJs.

This is an opportunity to meet potential collaborators, unleash your creativity, and engage in passionate discussions about art. Let us transcend into the early hours of the morning.

Join us every Saturday of the festival at Opium from 10pm.

Let’s unite and create unforgettable nights!

Playful and thoughtful theatre, circus and dance for audiences aged 0-18

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YOUNG 65
FESTIVAL
CLUB
Image Simon Lazewski, Púcaparty by Glitter HOLE, 2019.

THE CROW’S WAY

Moonfish Theatre

Preview

21 September

14:00, €12

Performances

22 & 23 September

14:00, 18:00, €16/€14

Other Performance

21 September

20:00, €16/€14

Venue

Abbey Theatre — Peacock Stage

Duration 60 mins

If someone follows the crow’s way, can they ever make it back? When Gerda’s best friend Cuán ruins their village’s annual ritual, he flees into the wild and dangerous forest. The villagers say he’s gone forever, but Gerda’s not so sure…

A thrilling and unpredictable tale for young adults, families, and anyone who loves adventure, brought to life with Moonfish’s signature brand of theatre magic.

For audiences aged 8+ years.

A co-commission with Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, in partnership with Town Hall Theatre, Galway. Supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Galway City Council.

Image Marta Barcikowska

MATT AND HAT

Mateusz Szczerek

Preview

13 September

14:00, €11

Performances

13 - 16 September

15:00 - 20:30 (various times), €15/€13

Other Performances

14 - 16 September

14:00, €15/€13

Venue

The Civic — Studio Theatre

Duration

30 mins

Matt is feeling a little… unmotivated. A little… bored. A little… lost. Until the day his grandmother gifts him a brand new cap called Hat! Hat has plans for Matt and together they embark on a journey neither dreamed possible!

This is a cutting-edge audience experience blending motion-capture technology with krump dance choreography and fusing the experience within a theatrical installation.

An interactive VR dance experience for audiences aged 12+ using Oculus headsets.

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Supported by Project Arts Centre, Dance Ireland and South Dublin County Council.

Image Sean Burns

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DANCE - VIRTUAL REALITY - INTERACTIVE
Co-Presented by the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival Commissioned and Co-Produced by Ready, Steady, SHOW! at The Civic.

WHEN THE MOON SPUN ROUND

Fidget Feet & Ceol Connected

Performances

23 September

13:00 & 16:00, €7/€5

Venue

Draíocht Blanchardstown —

Main Auditorium

Duration 50 mins

PLAYS PLAYS

Do you know what happened when the moon spun round? When the darkness tumbled upon us the cats came out to play and the mischievous lady of the river explored what lies behind the moon.

Come on an imaginative journey where dancers float beneath the moonlight, serenaded by Irish folk music’s soft sounds.

Inspired by the children’s poetry and stories of W.B. Yeats.

For audiences aged 6+ years.

Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Commissioned by Babaró International Arts Festival for Children. Supported by Siamsa Tíre, Lime Tree Theatre and Irish Aerial Creation Centre.

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PLAYS
Image Jym Daly
Exciting new theatre from playwrights you need to know

RETCH

Leanne Bickerdike

Preview

19 September

18:00, €11

Performances

22 & 23 September

18:00, €13/€11

Other Performances

21 September

13:00 & 20:00, €13/€11

Venue

Bewley’s Café Theatre

Duration

65 mins

Set in Dublin in the mid 90s, this is an intensive and fast-paced, physical theatre one-woman show.

Exploring the world through the eyes of an angry, broke, young woman who is grief stricken after the death of her mother and unable to communicate with her father.

After she meets a fella at a bus stop, her decision-making shifts, but is it for better or for worse?

From demons, da’s and disco biscuits, she begins to evolve and understand the world around her.

Developed at FRINGE LAB and Scene+Heard.

Please note Contains strobe lighting and depictions of violence.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Red Bear Company

Preview

8 September

18:15, €14

Performances

9 - 11 September

21:00, €18/€16

ISL Interpreted Performance

11 September

21:00, €18/€16

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration

70 mins

Teenage Ciara, thinking she has the house to herself, has brought home school friend Sara to help her with a stomach churning task. Their scheme is interrupted by the arrival of Ciara’s parents Lorraine and Tanya and so an unwanted evening with the whole family unfolds.

Privilege, prejudice and barely concealed resentment are all served up for dinner, with a good dolloping of secrets and lies for dessert.

Supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. In association with Droichead Arts Centre.

Please note Contains references to child bereavement, sexual violence and abortion.

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THEATRE - SPOKEN WORD

MMANWU Dagogo Hart

Preview

19 September

18:00, €11

Performances

20 - 23 September

18:00, €15/€13

Other Performances

22 & 23 September

13:00, €15/€13

Venue

The New Theatre

Duration

90 mins

A widowed mother’s journey back to her rural Nigerian roots sparks an emotional rollercoaster. As she grapples with grief and motherhood, her strained bond with her father unravels.

Dive into this gripping play exploring healing, family ties, and the power of selfdiscovery amidst life’s challenges.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Supported by Big Ambitions: a FRINGE LAB & Fishamble: The New Play company partnership.

Image Annie Spratt

MAY DAY Holly Furey

Preview

19 September

20:30, €11

Performances

20 - 23 September

20:30, €15/€13

Other Performances

21 September

13:00

23 September

15:30, €15/€13

Venue

The New Theatre Duration

55 mins

May 1st, 2018. Dublin.

Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor’s fame and infamy is at an all time high and in less than four weeks, the Republic of Ireland will host a referendum on abortion rights.

Ciara and Julie are long time friends struggling to connect amidst the turbulence of this time. They may be on the same side politically but they can’t seem to agree on the best way through a di cult month.

Audience members are welcome to attend the performance in their Repeal the 8th memorabilia.

Supported by The King’s Head Theatre, London.

Please note Contains the use of smoke machines and strobe lighting with references to mental health, violence and abortion.

Image Kate Hockenhull

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GIRL IN A CELL

Niamh Ryan Productions

Preview

10 September

21:15, €11

Performances

11 – 13 September

18:45, €14/€12

Other Performances

13 September

15:00, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Black Box

Duration

75 mins

Meet Jenna, a sparky, young dancer on the cusp of pirouetting into her greatest glory yet — until she isn’t.

On a brief (and she insists it will be brief!) hiatus from her glitter glory, she welcomes us into her world while she tries to decipher how on earth she got herself into this situation.

Join her on this quest, where despite her best attempts she finds herself involved with every quack and crony the town has to o er.

Supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Please note Contains loud music, strobe lighting and themes of child bereavement.

COLUMBIA MARCH

Joe Wright

Preview

18 September

18:00, €11

Performances

19 & 20 September

20:00, €13/€11

Other Performances

22 September

13:00

23 September

15:00, €13/€11

Venue

Bewley’s Café Theatre

Duration

50 mins

A farce that takes on the British Empire one seagull at a time.

The troubles of Sectarianism in Northen Ireland have ended but one man with notions of his own believes the war still exists. On a mission for the Irish Cause, Young Ger is tasked with collecting some vital materials from across the Irish Sea in Scotland. Boarding a makeshift raft, he sets sail into the Irish fog but when the tides turn rough and the crosswinds set in, Young Ger finds himself searching for much more.

‘Even the Seagulls are British spies’. Have your armbands at the ready as Young Ger sets sail with nothing but dreams and multiple personalities.

Developed at FRINGE LAB and Camden Fringe.

Image Gary James Doyle

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DOG SHIT

Bellaray Bertrand-Webb

& Ursula McGinn

Preview

12 September

18:00, €11

Performances

13 - 16 September

18:00, €15/€13

Other Performances

14 & 16 September

13:00, €15/€13

Venue

The New Theatre

Duration

70 mins

Four friends and old colleagues are hanging out, but their summer afterparty turns sour when an unwanted visitor arrives. A night of surprises unfolds, leading to deadly chaos.

4 friends. 3 pets. 2 secrets. 1 big mess.

Clearly there was always shit between them, this won’t be an argument they can sweep under the rug.

A comedic and brutal portrayal of the fine line between friendship and competitors. This play explores the conflict between the arts and tech industry in Dublin.

Developed at FRINGE LAB and the Irish Theatre Institute.

Please note Contains loud noise and references to mental health.

HAND OF GOD

Carley Magee & Aaron Finnegan

Preview

20 September

18:45, €11

Performances

21 - 23 September

18:45, €14/€12

Other Performance

23 September

15:45, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Black Box

Duration

80 mins

Magical realism and soft horror collide in this suburban noir. Orla and Grace realise moving in together might not actually save their relationship. Suddenly, the outside world turns on its head and unravels their already fractured lives. Secrets become harder to keep as reality closes in — and Grace’s bed-bound grandmother only fuels their desire to get out. With nowhere left to hide, the women are forced to confront the painful truth of their relationship.

Supported by Big Ambitions: a FRINGE LAB & Fishamble: The New Play company partnership.

Please note Contains loud noise, partial nudity and references to mental health, suicide and sexual violence; use of simulated blood.

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FLOAT

Kirby Thompson & Orla Graham

Preview

12 September

20:00, €11

Performances

13, 15 - 17 September

20:00, €13/€11

Other Performances

13 & 17 September

13:00, €13/€11

Venue

Bewley’s Café Theatre

Duration

60 mins

Revel in quiet rebellion; gently let go and loudly move forward with four Belfast housemates.

Erin, Mia, Caitlyn and Grace are an ode to young Belfast student life; the dirty dishes, the broken windows, the parties, the celebrity cardboard cut-outs, but things start to unravel as the girls realise that maybe they don’t know each other as well as they first thought.

Supported by The MAC Belfast and the Lyric Theatre.

Please note Contains references to mental health and sexual violence.

IN HEAT

Philomena P

Preview

13 September

20:30, €11

Performances

14 - 16 September

20:30, €15/€13

Other Performances

15 September

13:00

16 September

15:30, €15/€13

Venue

The New Theatre

Duration

55 mins

Conor and Helen are in their 20s, living in a cramped flat in Dublin. Their relationship is on the rocks when they find out they are pregnant. For the second time.

We watch as their search for meaning descends into a festering back and forth, corroding their world from within.

Please note Contains references to mental health, sexual violence and themes of child bereavement.

Image Sadhbh McLoughlin and Sinéad Gallagher

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Image Kirby Thompson

MOSAIC

Louis Deslis

Preview

8 September 21:15, €11

Performances

9, 10, 12 & 13 September

21:15, €15/€13

Other Performances

14 September 13:15

16 September

15:30, €15/€13

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Cube

Duration

55 mins

Shit just got real, c’est la merde, the real big merde.

You just broke up with your fella. Your hard-of-hearing granny’s got a broken leg and it’s your turn to go mind her because she can’t get on the commode chair all by herself. Home Sweet Home, you can’t say that in French, you can’t say Maison Douce Maison.

A show about going home, the things we can’t say and the things we hear even without being said.

Developed at Scene+Heard. Supported by the Irish Theatre Institute.

Please note Contains references to mental health.

SLIPPERY WHEN

WET

Leanne Devlin

Preview

9 September 18:30, €12

Performances

10 - 14 September 18:30, €14/€12

Venue

The Pearse Centre

Duration

60 mins

This show tells the story of an actor forced to move back to her parents after running out of work and money. To stay afloat she gets a job as a cleaner in a local supermarket.

Just when she thinks she’s got a firm footing, love unexpectedly slides into her… workplace.

This makes for a slippery love story, with slippery floors and a very slippery vagina. Does she abandon her life-long dreams to swim in the balmy waters of love?

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Image Adrien Simonazzi Image Gavin Peden

THIS IS YOU Loom

Preview

13 September

18:30, €11

Performances

14 - 17 September

18:30, €14/€12

Other Performances

16 & 17 September

13:15, €14/€12

ISL Interpreted Performance

17 September

18:30, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Boys’ School

Duration

70 mins

A thought-provoking new play exploring the roles we play, for ourselves and for others.

Alice, a struggling actor, is hired by a man to play a role — to live in his house as his estranged daughter, Melissa. As the experiment plays out the balance of power shifts in increasingly explosive ways.

Supported by The Everyman and Cork Midsummer Festival.

DRAINAGE SCHEME

Noke Theatre

Preview

11 September

19:00, €12

Performances

12 - 16 September

19:00, €16/€14

Other Performance

16 September

13:00, €16/€14

Venue

Abbey Theatre — Peacock Stage

Duration

75 mins

Set in the 18th century, this is a rural drama that mixes experimental music and performance techniques. It is the result of five years of research into a time of radical change, that saw Cork City balloon in size and rural Munster convert into a cow based mono-economy.

Focusing on a family living on the edges and struggling to survive, this play explores apathy, uncertainty and perseverance and how the ways life felt then, it still feels now.

Developed at FRINGE LAB. Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Supported by Kerry County Council, Creative Ireland and St John’s Theatre, Listowel.

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Image Conal Hanamy Image Richard Walsh Co-Presented by the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival

THE SCRATCHER

Kelly Shatter

Preview

11 September

18:00, €11

Performances

12 - 15 September

18:00, €13/€11

Other Performance

16 September

15:30, €13/€11

Venue

Bewley’s Café Theatre

Duration

60 mins

Nicole is thirty-five and a fledgling bisexual. She’s also a scratch card addict.

On the night of her new girlfriend’s birthday party, Nicole finds herself obsessing over her secret stash of cards. Can she resist the itch?

This is a deeply human, hilarious show where love and addiction collide. It explores identity, connection and first lust.

Expect well meaning gobshites, masterful physicality and unflinching humour as a battle between truth and deception unfolds.

Developed at Scene+Heard. Originally commissioned by axis Ballymun’s Assemble Bursary.

Please note Contains themes of addiction and suicide.

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Awe-inspiring artists who defy genres, push boundaries and fearlessly carve their own unique paths
Image Molly Keane

HOTHOUSE MALAPROP

Preview 9 September 18:15, €14

Performances

12 - 15 September 21:00, €18/€16

Other Performances 10 & 11 September 18:15

16 September

13:00, €18/€16

ISL Interpreted Performance

16 September

13:00, €18/€16

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration 90 mins

This is a new play with songs and a ship’s captain pulling the strings.

Ruth in 1969 refuses to eat sandwiches with lettuce in them. Ali in the present day goes on a cruise to say goodbye to the ice. A parent 100 years in the future tells their child it gets better, even though we’re pretty sure they’re lying.

A play about horny songbirds, parents, love, legacy, and wanting to change, but not knowing how.

Originally commissioned by THISISPOPBABY for Where We Live. Supported by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. MALAPROP are Project Artists, an initiative of Project Arts Centre, and are supported by field:arts.

Please note Contains references to mental health.

Image Therese Rafter, graphic treatment by Molly O’Cathain

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ENDINGS. Springheel Productions

Preview

8 September

18:30, €11

Performances

9, 10, 13 - 16 September

18:30, €15/€13

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Cube

Duration

80 mins

‘Your life hasn’t turned out the way you expected, has it? You’re lost, aren’t you? Would you like that to change?’

A show about love, loss, destiny and legacy.

A concert, a concept album, a musical.

endings. is about Henry. Henry’s life isn’t going too well.

Henry encounters a mysterious figure at a party who o ers him a deal, a deal which will change the course of his life forever.

Come join the party.

Developed at FRINGE LAB and Scene+Heard.

Please note Contains loud noise, smoke machines, strobe lighting, references to mental health and depictions of violence.

Image Fiachra Larney

WORK.TXT

Nathan Ellis

Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival

Performances

19 - 23 September

18:30, €15/€13

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Cube

Duration

60 mins

This is a show about work.

But the worker isn’t here, so it’s down to you.

You will be your own boss. You will be free.

This is a show performed entirely by the audience about the gig economy, financial instability and bullshit jobs.

Please note Contains the use of smoke machines and strobe lighting.

Image Alex Brenner

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DUBLINLAND

Matthew

Preview 10 September

18:30, €11

Performances 11 - 16 September

18:30, €13/€11

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 2

Duration 60 mins

The Taoiseach has called an emergency press conference. Don’t worry. It’s not that bad. He promises it’s NOT THAT BAD. Dublin is dying and he has a plan to save it…

DublinLand is a new dawn — the cream in your pint, the tin in your whistle. More specifically, it’s an initiative turning Dublin into a Dublin-themed amusement park. You’re going to love your new job here. After all: happiness is mandatory.

A hilarious satire that shows the fail in Fáilte.

KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE KYLE HAS A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH REALITY AND WITH HIMSELF

Preview 18 September

20:30, €11

Performances 19 - 21 September

20:30, €13/€11

Venue

All My Friends

Duration 60 mins

A new show from the only act that dares to have seven of the same first name in a row.

This seductively hysterical show knits together an aggressively nonsensical evening with needles made of original writing, yarn made of cultural ephemera, and also metaphors.

When you’re tired of a quotidian reality, deadpan comedic chanteuse KYLE will suck you o into a new world, deeply deranged but with a reassuring internal logic that renders it entirely unforgettable.

Please note Contains references to mental health, suicide and sexual violence.

Image behappyforonce

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SCAREDY FAT

Colm McCready & SkelpieLimmer

Preview

9 September

18:30, €11

Performances

10 - 16 September

21:00, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Boys’ School

Duration

60 mins

Scaredy’s working the late shift at the cinema. Tonight’s schedule? The horror movie sexual awakenings of yesteryear.

Stu ed with steamy recollections of Carrie and Candyman, Scaredy should be in ecstasy but evil horror host Count Calories keeps cutting in on the fun.

It’s time for Scaredy to face their fears and stop being such a big scaredy fat.

Come to the movies with Scaredy as they poke fun at fat and queer representation in the horror genre, asking what it means to love a genre that doesn’t love you back. We’re gonna need a bigger shirt.

Supported by FRINGE LAB X field:arts, Les Enfants Terribles and Pleasance.

Please note Contains references to mental health, eating disorders, homophobia and fatphobia.

Image Fergus Wachala Kelly

PASSPORTSA CONVERSATION

Ayesha Syeddah & Friends

Performance

19 September

15:00, €10

Venue

Project Arts Centre — Space Upstairs

Duration 120 mins

What does your passport mean to you?

Ayesha leads a curated line-up of speakers to create conversation on themes of belonging, migration and displacement. Using the social construct of a passport as the compass, they will share experiences, observations and thoughts on how our passports, or lack thereof, have shaped our journeys, identities and ideas of home.

An interactive and experimental social exercise, the experience aims to (re)build and (re)define what it means to be Irish today by harnessing the power of dialogue.

See fringefest.com for full line up of speakers.

Supported by Dublin Fringe Festival & the #BlindianProject.

Please note Contains references to mental health.

Image Joupin Ghamsari

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DOPA-MEAN GIRL

Louisa Ní Éideáin

Preview

11 September

21:15, €11

Performances

12 - 16 September

21:15, €14/€12

Other Performance

16 September

13:30, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Black Box

Duration

50 mins

Welcome to the musical journey of a woman with late diagnosis ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Fáilte go cheolseó grinn faoi bhean a bhfuil ADHD uirthi. Seo seó ina bhfuil Béarla agus Gaeilge fite fuaite.

This cabaret-style show recreates the polyphony of a brain that must do at least two things at all times.

Developed at Scene+Heard. Supported by Gorilla Design.

Please note Contains loud noise and references to mental health and suicide.

JUST A MINUTE

Conor Murray

Preview

14 September

13:00, €11

Performances

15 & 16 September

13:00, €13/€11

Other Performances

14 September 20:00

16 & 17 September

18:00, €13/€11

Venue

Bewley’s Café Theatre

Duration 45 mins

Meet the intern.

Alienated, delusional, and with a monumental crush on the straight boy in the o ce, our intern is the ultimate corporate flop. Join him for one lifechanging day as he attempts to suppress his queerness and rise through the ranks at the Greenwich Meantime Museum.

If you’re a recovering workaholic, a Colin the Caterpillar fanatic, or simply looking for a laugh — this is the show for you!

Please note Contains references to mental health.

Image Romany Gilmour

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SHAUNA CARRICK WANTS A DOG

Aon Scéal Theatre

Preview

15 September

18:15, €12

Performance

16 September

18:15, €16/€14

Other Performances

17 September

13:00

18 September

20:45, €16/€14

Audio Described Performance

18 September

20:45, €16/€14

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — 1662

Duration

60 mins

An original musical comedy about life, love, and wanting a dog. We follow Shauna as she tackles her inner demons and embarks on a quest to take control of her own life, whilst making some very necessary detours for hot chocolate along the way.

Indulge in this wholesome musical experience as she ticks o her main character checklist.

Developed at Scene+Heard. Supported by dlr Mill Theatre, Dundrum and the UCD Ad Astra Academy Performing Arts Alumni Initiative.

Please note Contains references to mental health.

Image Earl Echivarre

PADDY LAMATHE SHED TALKS

Jason Byrne

Preview

11 September 18:15, €12

Performances 12, 13, 18 - 20 September 18:15, €16/€14

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — 1662

Duration 75 mins

Jason Byrne is writing and performing in his first play, directed by Feidlim Cannon of Brokentalkers.

A Dubliner full of wit and wisdom, Paddy used to say, ‘If you don’t continue to talk about someone when they die, they die twice’.

In this play, Jason Byrne brings the full life of Paddy Byrne to the stage playing his dad, keeping him alive in stories full of laughter and tears. This is 80 years of Dublin wit, 80 years of Dublin bull, but heart-warming and loving all the same.

‘Sure, that’s life son, just don’t tell ure mother.’

Aviary Talent.

Image Jenny McCarthy

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CHIRON: A ONE CENTAUR SHOW

Fionn Cleary

Preview

8 September

18:30, €12

Performances

9 - 14 September

20:30, €14/€12

Venue

The Pearse Centre

Duration

60 mins

FEET PICS AREN’T FREE!

Gráinne Holmes Blumenthal

Preview

19 September

18:30, €11

Performances

20 - 23 September

18:30, €14/€12

Other Performance

23 September

15:15, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Boys’ School

Duration

50 mins

Developed at FRINGE LAB, Scene+Heard and POP UP.

A centaur from Greek mythology tells his story by invoking the highest of all muses, stand-up comedy!

When this immortal centaur is shot with a poison arrow, creating an incurable wound, he searches deep inside himself and thinks, ‘I could get a good Dublin Fringe show out of this’.

In this show set in the world of Greek mythology and spoken with the voices of small-town Ireland, Chiron tries to squeeze humour out of the possibility he may be chronically ill forever.

Developed at Scene+Heard.

Image Layla Tobin

Please note Contains the use of smoke machines, strobe lighting and references to mental health.

For sale: feet pics, freshly painted.

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself tagged online that you don’t even remember taking? Now imagine it was a picture of your feet. Imagine Gráinne’s horror when she was stumbling around Wikifeet (as you do!) and she sees pictures of her little toesies posted online without her consent—and worse, for completely free.

So, come with Gráinne, foot model extraordinaire, and learn the importance of why feet pics are NEVER free.

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HYPER Jaxbanded Theatre

Preview

18 September

18:30, €11

Performances

19 - 23 September

21:00, €14/€12

Other Performance

23 September

13:15, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Boys’ School

Duration

50 mins

For decades Trans people have been using hyperpop to shatter standards of genre, gender and good taste.

Right now, the only thing Saoirse wants to shatter is her own f*cking voice.

Told through live vocal modulation and manipulation, this is a rip-roaring and unabashedly Queer theatrical deep dive into Trans identity and music.

What it means to speak, sing and, for the audience (yes, you babe), to listen.

Supported by FRINGE LAB X field:arts. Developed at Scene+Heard.

Please note Contains loud music, smoke machines, strobe lighting and references to mental health, gender dysphoria and transphobia.

RUVHENEKO

Kayssie K.

Preview

10 September

18:30, €11

Performances

11 & 12 September

18:30, €14/€12

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — Boys’ School

Duration

45 mins

A powerful performance that celebrates the strength and resilience of minority women, debuting Kayssie K.’s first poetry collection. Through a mesmerising blend of music and spoken word, this multi-disciplinary experience explores themes of self-identity, women’s rights, and creative expression. Join us in honouring the forgotten voices and the courageous fighters who have shaped our history. Step into a transformative journey that recognises the beauty and boundless nature of womanhood.

Supported by Dublin Fringe Festival’s Dream On Bursary.

Please note Contains loud noise and references to mental health.

Image Kayssie K.

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THE COIL’S LAMENT

Síomha Hennessy

Preview

20 September

18:00, €11

Performances

22 & 23 September

20:00, €13/€11

Other Performances

21 September

18:00

23 September

13:00, €13/€11

Venue

Bewley’s Café Theatre

Duration

60 mins

Síomha is in her celibate era.

She scrolls TikTok for seven hours a day and has even started having full blown arguments with her own contraceptive coil (who is NOT happy in retirement).

A musical comedy for anyone who has ever downloaded Hinge and then immediately googled: ‘Am I asexual or just depressed?’

Developed at Scene+Heard.

Please note Contains references to mental health.

BOXING DAY

William Keohane

Performance

17 September

18:15, €16/€14

Venue

Smock Alley Theatre — 1662

Duration 60 mins

William Keohane reads from Boxing Day, a 52-poem sequence detailing the poet’s experience of gender transition, one poem written per week over the course of a year.

Keohane’s work is graceful, powerful in its restraint, and often startling in its honesty and candour. The performance is accompanied by visuals and text.

Developed at Ormston House.

Please note Contains references to mental health, themes of abuse and harm and depictions of violence.

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BEYOND THE PAGE: STRAY LINES IRISH COMICS SHOWCASE

Stray Lines

Preview

15 September

20:45, €11

Performance

16 September

20:45, €13/€11

Other Performance

16 September

13:00, €13/€11

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 2

Duration

70 mins

Comic book panels come alive in an atmospheric performance that takes images, spoken word, mythical Ireland and the rollerskating scene and blasts it together into a… well, you’ll just have to come and see it.

Join Stray Lines, a collective of independent Irish comic creators, as they lift the panels from the page. Featuring brand new original and indie comics performed live.

Supported by Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray. Please note Contains depictions of violence.

Image Stray Lines

WHO WANTS TO WRITE AN EMAIL?

Our emails are writing themselves! It’s weird, right? Think you can tell human from machine? Become the next contestant in this humorous interactive quiz show to find out.

Laura

Allcorn & Jennifer Edmond

Preview

9 September

18:30, €11

Performances

10 - 12 September

20:45, €13/€11

Venue

The Lir Academy — Studio 2

Duration

75 mins

Win the fastest finger contest. Take the hot seat. Use your lifelines—ask the audience or chat to our AI Expert. Is that your final answer? Okay AI, show us why you wrote that!

We’ll try not to get woozy thinking like algorithms.

Come feel the sentient satisfaction of being a human in an automated world.

Funded by Science Foundation Ireland. With support from the ADAPT Research Centre, the Long Room Hub at Trinity College Dublin, and the Institute For Comedic Inquiry.

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SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER

Hundreds of artists spend thousands of hours making work for Dublin Fringe Festival each year. Our panel of judges recognise the extraordinary skill and talent on display and acknowledge some of the standouts in this year’s festival.

BEST PRODUCTION

For the show that has it all.

BEST DESIGN

Outstanding lighting, sound, scenic, projection, costume or overall design.

BEST PERFORMERS

Two of this year’s brightest stars will take home this accolade.

BEST ENSEMBLE

The standout ensemble –the heartbeat of a show.

JUDGE’S CHOICE AWARDS

Three awards to acknowledge something that defies categorisation but must be recognised for its brilliance.

FISHAMBLE NEW WRITING AWARD

Awarded to an emerging Irish (or Irish-based) writer for a new play. The award includes dramaturgical support by Fishamble: The New Play Company. Previous winners are not eligible.

FIRST FORTNIGHT AWARD

The winner will be invited to perform at the First Fortnight Festival in January 2023. First Fortnight’s mission is mental health awareness, challenging prejudice and ending stigma.

NEXT STAGE WILD CARD

A bursary to be part of the Next Stage at Dublin Theatre Festival with Theatre Forum.

AXIS GREEN ARTS AWARD

Axis Ballymun will o er a cash prize of €1000 as well as targeted support for future productions to help with the planning and delivery of environmentally aware work.

BEWLEY’S CAFÉ THEATRE LITTLE GEM AWARD

The most exciting show that’s under 60 minutes wins a handsome prize: a two-week run at Bewley’s Café Theatre and €2000 for the remount.

SPIRIT OF WIT: MOIRA BRADY AVERILL AWARD

A unique award for an artist willing to take risks and whose work defies categorisation with bold and unconventional material. In memory of Moira Brady

Averill, who had the power to transform space and thought through alchemical wit. The award comes with a monetary prize and a framed illustration by artist Walker Mettling.

RADICAL SPIRIT

Co-presented by Dublin Fringe Festival and Project Arts Centre. This commissioning award is for an Irish artist dedicated to making bold, contemporary work which embodies the radical spirit of both Fringe and Project.

THE GEORGE FITZMAURICE AWARD

This award will connect an experimental artist with an original voice with St John’s Theatre, Listowel via a twoweek residency. The prize includes a €1500 bursary, workspace and travel/ accommodation.

PROMPTPAD TECHNICAL INNOVATION AWARD

This new award for 2023 is for a show that pushes the boundaries of technical elements for their production. This show will have utilised existing technology to innovate their work and transform traditional industry practices to put a unique spin on live performance.

To our core funders the Arts Council and Dublin City Council, thank you for supporting our work every step of the way.

To the artists making work for the festival, the artists we work with year-round through FRINGE LAB and those who drop into Elevenses to just say hi – thank you for your faith in Dublin Fringe Festival. Your work inspires us every day!

Thank you to the Dublin Fringe Festival board for your belief and your resilience.

A deep and heartfelt thanks to Ruth McGowan, outgoing Artistic Director & CEO for your vision, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the festival.

A special thank you to Shaun Dunne and Aisling Murray for your support during the curation of the festival. To Matt Smyth for lending us his producing talents and taking care of our artists earlier in the year. To our team member Susan Kennelly (and Ranger) for your rigour, cheer and talent, Thank you!

To all the invaluable technicians, volunteers, patrons, partners, stakeholders, venues, funders, sponsors, friends and family who have joined us on our festival-making journey, a heartfelt THANK YOU. We couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you to Laura Callaghan, who captured a wonderful sense of momentum, scale and energy in this year’s festival design. Laura aptly managed to represent the personality of the festival as well as the community of artists and experiences reflected in this year’s programme.

A special thank you to Mo Harte and Bríd Ní Ghruagáin for your audio describing talents and skill.

Hat tip to the dedicated and dynamic Dublin Fringe Festival team for doing all that you do. You are nothing short of incredible!

A sincere thank you to our incredible audiences, your support brings life and energy to every performance. Your enthusiasm and unwavering commitment fuel our passion and drive us to create unforgettable experiences.

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2023
AWARDS THANK

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

David Francis Moore

GENERAL MANAGER

Deirdre Patton

MARKETING MANAGER

Clare O’Sullivan

ARTISTIC PROJECTS MANAGER

Bee Sparks

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Marcus Costello

ARTISTIC & FRINGE LAB ASSISTANT

Niamh Murtagh

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATOR

Aletta Meijer

COMMUNICATIONS & DESIGN ASSISTANT

Allie Whelan

ASSOCIATE ARTISTS

Shanna May Breen & Dafe Orugbo

AUDIENCE CLUB CO-ORDINATOR

Khanyisile Mbukwane

BOX OFFICE MANAGER

Conor Hogan

PUBLICITY & PR

Conleth Teevan

VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR

Daniel Culleton

TECHNICAL MANAGERS

Veronica Foo

John Crudden

Sarah Timmins

BOOKKEEPER

Carole Lakes

FESTIVAL AUDITOR

KSi Faulkner Orr

CREATIVE AGENCY

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ILLUSTRATOR

Laura Callaghan

SOLICITOR

Philip Lee Solicitors

IT PROVIDER

GDK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lara Hickey (chair), Julie Blakeney, Dan Colley, Luke Hardcastle, Miles Harrigan, Carly McKenna, Brian Melarkey, Áine Mulloy.

A big thank you to additional sta who joined after the publication of this brochure.

US SUPPORT

2023. We’re coming for you. Help Dublin Fringe Festival to support more artists. Become a Fringe Friend.

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In 2022 we supported 503 artists and arts workers across 560+ performances during Dublin Fringe Festival and more than 4000+ artists through our artist support activity year-round. With your help, we can do more, support more artists in the coming year, and create more unforgettable festival experiences.

The support of Fringe Friends is invested in artists and their projects, giving them the resources they need to dream big. Be part of the Dublin Fringe Festival, become a Fringe Friend.

FRINGE

FRIENDS

Declan Cli ord, Bernie Curran, Kate Duke, Luke Hardcastle, Claire Healy, Marie Kelly, Róisín Magee, Leo Mangan, Orla McCa rey, Lucy Michael, Mary Tubridy, Fiona Walsh.

MAKE A DONATION

Dublin Fringe Festival is registered as Dublin Fringe Festival CLG. Company number: 253495. Dublin Fringe Festival CLG is registered as a charity in Ireland: Registered charity number: 20037772 CHY 12698.

The Quinn Family Foundation

Your donation allows us to o er supports, resources, space, time and professional development to the Irish independent arts sector. Every cent is hugely appreciated! You can donate when you purchase tickets or click ‘Donate’ at fringefest.com/support-us 1

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1 DFF may claim 31% tax relief on a donation over €250. DFF receive the grossed amount, net of tax deducted at the specified rate. For every donation of €250, DFF can claim a refund of €112.32. WITH SPECIAL THANKS
FIREWORK € 100 FLAME € 50 SPARK €
TEAM

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

Grant Aided By

Sponsor

The Phantasmic ‘20s

Media Partners

Hospitality Partners

Cultural Partners

Programming Partners

Festival Partners

Artist Resources Support

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