A "unique" staging of Beckett's Waiting for Godot and a 20th anniversary production of Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane are among the Druid theatre company's programme for 2016.
The multi Tony Award-winning Galway company unveiled the new programme on Monday following their recent national and international success with DruidShakespeare, which is nominated in 10 categories in the forthcoming Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards,
Speaking at the launch in Galway today, Druid's Artistic Director Garry Hynes said: "We will continue our development of new, local talent with FUEL and Druid Debuts and throughout the year we will engage with Waking the Feminists to see how we, as a company, can begin to address gender inequality in theatre."
Helen and I by young Tuam playwright Meadhbh McHugh will also receive its world premiere this year at Druid's home at the Mick Lally Theatre in Galway. The play tells the story of two sisters who return home to look after their dying father and "in the hothouse conditions of a summer’s weekend, the future emerges from hard-won and hard-fought rearrangements of the past."
Waiting for Godot will be performed by members of the Druid Ensemble - Marty Rea, Aaron Monaghan, Garrett Lombard and Rory Nolan - with Garry Hynes directing.
Druid officially opened the Town Hall Theatre in 1996 with the premiere of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. In September, to mark the 20th anniversary of its opening, Druid will return with a new production of the award-winning play. Hynes will once again direct and Marie Mullen will this time play the role of manipulative ageing mother Mag, having originally played the part of daughter Maureen in 1996.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane will also be the company’s flagship touring production for winter 2016 and spring 2017. After its Galway run, the production will play across Ireland and embark upon a cost-to-coast tour of the US.
Druid's Artistic Director Garry Hynes
Druid received four Tony Awards for the original production in 1998, including Best Direction of a Play (Hynes), Best Leading Actress, Best Actress (Mullen) and Best Featured Actor for Tom Murphy.
Also today, Druid announced that their production of John B. Keane’s Big Maggie, which opens on Monday night in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre and which sees Aisling O'Sullivan return to the lead role opposite Keith Duffy, will extend its run to March 12.
Full details of all Druid 2016 productions will be announced in the coming months.
At the programme launch, Druid's Artistic Director, Garry Hynes said: "In 2016 Druid achieves its ambitions of producing four productions in one year and touring them all over Ireland, and coast to coast across the US.’
"We are working with national and international producers including MCD in Ireland, and David Eden Productions and Center Theatre Group in the US. The company will produce classic and new work including The Beauty Queen of Leenane with Marie Mullen, which will embark on a six-month tour, and Helen and I, a new play by Tuam writer Meadhbh McHugh, directed by Annabelle Comyn.
"A major step in our 2016 programme will be a very special production of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, which was initiated by members of the Druid Ensemble. This shared ownership of the artistic programme marks a new and very welcome departure for the company:’
