Dublin Theatre Festival – 18 days and nights of exceptional theatre – 29th September to 16th October 2016

The day has finally arrived! We get to wade through a variety of new productions and work out what is a ‘must see’ and what is only a ‘want to see’. We’ll give you a few recommendations in the coming weeks, but for the mean time, see what you can find below. There are new productions by Anu, TheatreClub, Brokentalkers and more.

The festival will this year honour the work of Sinead Cusack, with a Gala Night in her honour. Other highlights include…

Programme highlights include:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyric Hammersmith and Filter Theatre): 28 Sept – 01 Oct, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

The 2016 festival will open with a riotous, irreverent and funny take on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream from Lyric Hammersmith and Filter Theatre (UK) at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyric Hammersmith and Filter Theatre): 28 Sept – 01 Oct, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

The Seagull: Gaiety Theatre – 05 Oct – 16 Oct

The festival continues to play a key role in fostering the ambition of Irish companies and this year collaborates with Corn Exchange Theatre to present Anton Chekov’s celebrated comedy The Seagull in a new version by Michael West and Annie Ryan at the Gaiety Theatre.

Mozart’s Don Giovanni, in a new translation by Roddy Doyle, produced by Opera Theatre Company: – Sept 29, Oct 1 & 2, Gaiety Theatre

Once again there is a wealth of world premieres to enjoy including Opera Theatre Company’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in a new translation by Roddy Doyle.

A new adaptation of Swan Lake/ Loch na hEala rooted in the Midlands of Ireland by Michael Keegan-Dolan.

At the Abbey Theatre, a new play by Carmel Winters, The Remains of Maisie Duggan (Peacock stage) and Donegal a musical play written by Frank McGuinness with music by Kevin Doherty (Abbey stage).

These Rooms by CoisCéim Dance Theatre and ANU;

These Rooms (ANU and CoisCéim Dance Theatre ): 27Sept – 16 Oct, 85/86 Upper Dorset Street.

Druid’s production of Helen & I by Meadhbh McHugh;

The Circus Animals’ Desertion by Brokentalkers; commemorating the first anniversary of the Carrickmines tragedy,

Alien Documentary by Una McKevitt.

THEATREclub refuse to commemorate 1916 in It’s Not Over, their version of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars.

An experimental opera The Last Siren from Ian Wilson.

Ireland Shed a Tear? by Michael Collins.

Breaking Rainbows from visual artist and shepherd Orla Barry;

The Father: 29 Sept – 15 Oct

At the Gate Theatre, we’ll see the Irish premiere of The Father by Florian Zeller in a translation by Christopher Hampton.

At O’Reilly Theatre Michael Colgan will direct First Love, by Samuel Beckett starring Barry McGovern.

Death at Intervals from Kellie Hughes and Galway International Arts Festival at Smock Alley.

Travelling Productions:

Once again Dublin Theatre Festival presents an exciting and eclectic mix of theatrical voices from around the world. This year audiences can look forward to extraordinary work from Australia, Belgium, Spain, Iceland, UK, Norway, Sweden and Germany.

Productions include:

Ancient Rain (Far and Away Productions and Brink Productions, Australia) starring Camille O’Sullivan, Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and Feargal Murray in a new music theatre work inspired by the works of W.B. Yeats and other great Irish poets.

A documentary style approach to film and theatre, tell the story of survival, hope and love in an abandoned town in ZVIZDAL (Chernobyl – so far so close).

From Kriðpleir and LÓKAL Performing Arts, (Iceland) Crisis Meeting;

Backstage in Biscuit Land from Touretteshero stars Jess Thom who has Tourettes syndrome in a show weaving comedy, puppetry and singing.

From El Conde de Torrefiel, one of the most exciting and provocative theatre companies to emerge from Spain in recent years comes Guerrilla;

Verk Produksjoner (Norway) with satirical and political undertones look ahead into our uncertain future in Wishful Beginnings;

Paines Plough and Pentabus Theatre’s bring their internationally successful production of Every Brilliant Thing (UK)

From one of Sweden’s most interesting performance and film artists Gunilla Heilborn, a charming piece, This is Not a Love Story.