Theatre | Latest Theatrical News & Reviews

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: (L to R) Siobhán McSweeney, Eanna Hardwicke and Nicola Coughlan attend the press night after party for "The Playboy Of The Western World" at The National Theatre on December 11, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett

Reviewed: Hardwicke, Coughlan and McSweeney shine in Playboy

As the curtain dropped and the applause subsided at the interval of The Playboy of the Western World, currently playing at London's National Theatre, I overheard an English accent in the row behind me giving their midpoint review...

Theatre • 04 Feb

Fair Deal: Writer Una McKevitt's dark comedy comes to The Peacock

Playwright Una McKevitt introduces Fair Deal, her 'fast-moving dark comedy with a little horror thrown in' opening at the Peacock Stage at the Abbey Theatre this February.

Theatre • 13 Feb

Why Scene + Heard matters - the festival where new work begins

'After ten editions, Scene + Heard isn't interested in looking back.'

Theatre • 09 Feb

A night to remember - The 24 Hour Plays Dublin go out with a bang

Davey Kelleher, the outgoing Artistic Director of Dublin Youth Theatre (DYT), introduces this year's edition of The 24 Hour Plays: Dublin, coming to The Abbey Theatre on February 1st.

Theatre • 28 Jan

Why did a riot happen at the Abbey Theatre in February 1926?

The negative audience reaction to Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars was very much rooted in the political anxieties of 1926

Abbey Theatre • 12 Feb

A crash course on Krump - dance as 'a creative force for good'

Matt Sczerzek talks dance, community and the street dancing style that changed his life...

Dance • 29 Jan

Get Creative: On becoming an actor - doing auditions

Ever dreamed of one day treading the boards but don't know where to start?

Get Creative • 27 Jan

Puttin' on my Top Hat - why Irving Berlin is top of my playlist

It is coming up to that time of year when social media feeds are dominated by personal playlists...

Theatre • 29 Dec 25

The Art of Gentle Punk: Little John Nee's manifesto for our times

The Art of Gentle Punk is a new live performance, recently performed to sold out houses at the Mick Lally Theatre in Galway.

Theatre • 28 Jan

First Fortnight: Spoiler Alert - He Dies In The End

'Matty's dead, but it's not as bad as it sounds...' This year's First Fortnight Festival includes Liam McCarthy's acclaimed play He Dies in the End,

First Fortnight • 16 Dec 25

Family strife - why Mark O'Rowe's Reunion strikes a nerve

A stormy island off the coast of Ireland plays host to a family gathering in Mark O'Rowe's contemporary drama, Reunion...

Opinion and Analysis • 17 Dec 25

Reviewed: Dublin Gothic at the Abbey is a 'rollicking romp'

'Two hours is a short time and an eternity: to use two hours of public time is a fine art.' Barbara Bergin's new play at the Abbey brings theatre director Peter Brook's words to mind.

Reviews • 26 Dec 25

Plough and The Stars turns 100 as Abbey announces 2026 season

The Abbey Theatre has unveiled its first season announcement for 2026...

Theatre • 04 Dec 25

Jimmy Fay on the art of theatre criticism, and what we've lost

The following is an edited version of a speech given by Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer of the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, at Mission Critical: A forum for international conversation about the future of theatre criticism

Opinion and Analysis • 18 Dec 25

Oh no he didn't!* The formula for panto success revealed

Karl Broderick is the writer and co-producer of the Stadium Panto: Cinderella with Sammy and Buffy at the National Stadium, Dublin, which this year sees the return of a Irish panto legend...

Theatre • 20 Dec 25

Something for the Weekend: Mazzy Ronaldson's cultural picks

Something For The Weekend • 03 Dec 25

10 recommended Xmas shows for all the family

There is no better time of the year for families than Christmas...

Listicles • 21 Dec 25

Dublin Gothic brings a century of Irish life to the Abbey stage

Playwright Barbara Bergin introduces her new work Dublin Gothic, an epic tale spanning 100 years of life in the capital and featuring a cast of 20 actors, coming to the Abbey Theatre this November.

Theatre • 26 Nov 25

New Conor McPherson play leads Gate Theatre 2026 season

Theatre • 14 Nov 25

Tommy Tiernan will star in The House Must Win (Pic: Andy Hollingworth)

Tommy Tiernan to make musical theatre debut in Mick Flannery show

Comedian and actor Tommy Tiernan will make his musical theatre debut next year in a musical drama written by musician Mick Flannery

Theatre • 24 Nov 25

Dancing at Lughnasa played to sold out houses at The Gate Theatre in 2024

The tension at the heart of Brian Friel's enduring appeal

Theatre • 20 Nov 25

WTF Happened: The legacy and impact of #WakingTheFeminists

Great theatre changes how we see our lives. Great campaigning changes how we see our future.

Theatre • 18 Jan

Something for the Weekend: Roxanna Nic Liam's cultural picks

Actor Roxanna Nic Liam is known to RTÉ TV viewers for her role of Erica Allen in Fair City...

Something For The Weekend • 17 Nov 25

New Irish spins on classic plays at the Dublin Theatre Festival

Between 1606 and 1607, William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth. Two hundred and twenty years later, in 1827, Joseph Niépce took a photograph...

Opinion and Analysis • 11 Nov 25

Wexford Festival Opera - watch The Magic Fountain by Delius

We proudly present the latest of three live presentations from this year's Wexford Festival Opera - The Magic Fountain by Frederick Delius, live from the O'Reilly Theatre, National Opera House.

Opera • 31 Oct 25