The programme for the 2025 Dublin Theatre Festival has been announced, showcasing 29 productions over 18 days, featuring work from Ireland and 10 other countries.
Running from 25 September to 12 October, the 2025 festival sees Róise Goan marking her first Dublin Theatre Festival as Artistic Director and CEO.
The 2025 edition places a strong emphasis on international theatre, with productions coming from Peru, Ukraine, France, Poland, Belgium, India, Spain, Scotland, England, and more.
Teatro La Plaza from Peru will open the festival with a unique adaptation of Hamlet, performed by actors with Down syndrome.
A focus on accessibility and inclusion is central to the festival's programme. Productions such as Deaf Republic, The Making of Pinocchio, and My Right Foot exploring the lived experiences of Deaf people, neurodivergent individuals, and people with disabilities.
The festival also includes the Fair Play initiative, which offers accessible performances and guidance for audience members with additional access needs.
Women’s stories and female-led works are prominent throughout the festival. Notable titles include Whitewashing by Rébecca Chaillon and Aurore Déon, Pieces of a Woman by Kata Wéber and Kornél Mundruczó, and I Fall Down: A Restoration Comedy by Gina Moxley.
Contemporary global issues are explored in several productions. The Ukrainian Ivan Franko Theatre brings a new staging of Caligula, while Nowhere by actor and activist Khalid Abdalla reflects on political upheaval in Egypt. Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside and Be Careful by Mallika Taneja address personal and political tensions in today’s world.
Irish artists are also featured prominently. The Abbey Theatre will stage two-part play The Boy by Marina Carr and BÁN, a new adaptation of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba. Druid’s Macbeth, directed by Garry Hynes, will be presented at the Gaiety Theatre, while the Gate Theatre will premiere Poor, adapted from Katriona O’Sullivan’s memoir by Sonya Kelly.
A new adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters by award-winning playwright Ciara Elizabeth Smyth, at The Gaiety Theatre, offers a contemporary Irish take on a theatre classic with a cast that includes Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) and Alex Murphy (The Young Offenders).
For younger audiences, the Family Season includes six productions, with four curated by The Ark. Highlights include Univers for babies aged 0–2, Leaves by Branar, and The Little Prince, adapted by Toby Thompson.
The festival will also feature a new talks strand, Dublin Theatre Festival Thinks, including speakers such as feminist philosopher Sara Ahmed. Events in this programme aim to link the festival’s themes to broader cultural and political conversations.
Ticketing includes the 10 for 10 scheme, supported by Aviva, which offers discounted tickets to under 30s, the unwaged, and freelance arts workers.
Róise Goan, Artistic Director says: "As an island nation on the edge of Europe, that punches above our weight with our global contribution to culture, Dublin Theatre Festival is a really important moment in the calendar for Irish audiences to see the outside world on our stages, and we have some really fantastic international shows in the programme this year that are not to be missed. With a world in turmoil, the shared experience of witnessing stories from artists from all corners, as well as excellent home-grown theatre, has never felt more important."
Public booking opens on 31 July, following a priority window for festival friends.
Find out more about this year's Dublin Theatre Festival programme here.
