New Festival Director at Dublin Fringe Festival, David Francis Moore, guides Culture through this year's festival programme ahead of his inaugural Fringe this September.
It’s my first year at Dublin Fringe Festival and I’m excited to share our 2023 programme with you. For twenty-nine years Dublin Fringe has brought together visionary artists who defy the norm and ignite the imagination, captivating audiences with their extraordinary creations.
This year once again we ask our audiences to dive into the creative brilliance of these artists, as they push the boundaries of reality, propelling us towards a future full of possibilities. Over sixteen captivating days and nights this September, Dublin Fringe Festival will become a gateway as such, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of discovery. Dublin will undergo a stunning transformation, turning its streets, gardens, clubs, theatres, venues and galleries into a vibrant playground where artists' ambitious works come to life.
The Proclamation of The Irish Republegg to Dublin Fringe 2023 (Image: Anthony O Connor)
We invite audiences to step into a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, where the familiar is reinvented, and where boundaries are shattered. In embracing our theme of "Rendering the City Limitless", this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival serves as a catalyst for creative transformation, inspiring us to engage with the city in new and unexpected ways. Redefining our relationship with the city and highlighting its potential as a platform for artistic expression, cultural exchange and togetherness.
We invite audiences to immerse themselves in unique one-off experiences. Come wander through the Botanic Gardens in Jony Easterby’s The Garden of Shadows where his mesmerising light and sound installations illuminate our natural world at night and bring us closer to nature after dark. Join celebrity historian Bláthnaid Brennan as she leads you through the Phoenix Park in an audio experience where history and fantasy collide in Two Hundred Deer to Every Lion by bluehouse theatre. And for introspection, You're Needy 'Sounds Frustrating by tasteinyourmouth invites you on a journey into the world of Carrie, who is isolating herself from the world having moved into her bathroom. can you help her re-emerge back into society? This performance is for an intimate audience of one.
(Pic: Ruven Afanador)
We have thrilling musical collisions and collaborations such as Justin Vivian Bond & Anthony Roth Costanzo’s Only an Octave Apart, a delightful and unexpected musical journey where the duo explore the coexistence of contrasts by expressing their queer identities through a blend of classical and pop music, merging opera and politically subversive cabaret.
Another must-see is the captivating musical experience, Oscailt, by renowned contemporary music composer Jennifer Walshe. She grants audiences a glimpse into the perspective of digital natives. Collaborating with Irish secondary school students, Walshe creates a multimedia composition that explores life in a technologically mediated world and the experience of growing up in a digitally interconnected society.
For an unforgettable night out that blends music, performance, and entertainment, try Clash At The Quays, conceptualised and created by Ahmed, With Love where live music and professional wrestling come together to create an all-out musical brawl that will leave audiences enthralled.
In this year’s festival we are redefining the body as a captivating, intimate, and bold landscape. Bear witness to Dan Daw in The Dan Daw Show as he embarks on an intimate exploration of domination, kink and play through dance, delving into concepts of shame, identity, care and resilience. If you fancy an evening of head banging then join Rachel Ní Bhraonáin for Mosh, an exhilarating show where five performers delve into the vibrant subculture of moshing, uncovering the deeper meaning behind this often-misunderstood form of expression.
(Pic: Therese Rafter/Molly O Cathain)
If laughs are what you’re after, then we have a stellar lineup of world class comedians. In his hilarious new show featuring his signature dishevelled charm and a €10 eBay keyboard, David O'Doherty brings us Tiny Piano Man. Delivering a simmering blend of jokes and perhaps a hint of rage, Alison Spittle brings us Soup, fresh from its sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, while Lara Ricote, winner of Dave’s Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 comes to Ireland with GRL/LATNX/DEF, a stand-up show about what it’s like to be Latin, deaf and a girl who’s now a woman at the same time. In her own words, this show is packed with minority jokes for majority crowds!
If you are looking to discover the best of new theatre then Hothouse by Malaprop is just the fix, an extraordinary play with music about love, legacy, and the pursuit of change in the midst of a global climate crisis. Nathan Ellis’ WORK.TXT disrupts the conventional relationship between performer and spectator, empowering audience members to become active participants in a show about the gig economy, financial instability, and the meaninglessness of certain jobs, inviting contemplation on the nature of work in today's society.
Comic Jason Byrne premieres his first play Paddy Lama - The Shed Talks, a heartwarming and hilarious play that brings the full life of his father Paddy Byrne, keeping his memory alive in stories filled with Dublin wit and bull in a poignant and loving tribute. Drainage Scheme by Richard Walsh at the Abbey Theatre introduces us to a family who are living on the edges and struggling to survive in 18th century Cork, this play explores apathy, uncertainty, perseverance and how the way life felt then and how it still feels now.
This year’s young peoples’ strand of Dublin Fringe, the Young Radicals program, presents a series of cutting-edge and immersive experiences for young audiences. One of the featured shows is Matt And Hat by Mateusz Szczerek, a VR immersive experience where Matt, feeling unmotivated and bored, embarks on an extraordinary journey with his gifted cap called Hat, this show combines motion-capture technology and krump dance choreography. Moonfish Theatre bring their signature theatrical magic to The Crow's Way, a thrilling tale about Gerda's search for her friend Cuán, who disappears into a dangerous forest. When the Moon Spun Round by Fidget Feet & Ceol Connected, offers an imaginative adventure inspired by W.B. Yeats' poetry and stories, where dancers float under the moonlight, accompanied by soft Irish folk music.
There’s something for everyone at this years Dublin Fringe Festival 2023. and we extend a warm invitation for you to join us this September, where you will be immersed in a world of discovery. Prepare to be captivated by moments of profound revelation, enchanted by breathtaking beauty, and engaged in intimate encounters that will leave you wanting more!
The 29th edition of the Dublin Fringe Festival runs from September 9 – 24. Find our more at fringefest.com
