Katie Holly presents

DIVA

Written by Katie Holly
Directed by Laura O’Mahony

Norma has been the manager of multiple wedding bands for nearly a decade, pandering to bridezillas and gormless grooms, dealing with woeful wedding venues and misogynistic drummers, while building a highly successful business. She’s good at what she does and she knows it. Until she is unexpectedly faced with a wedding full of people from her home town; people she hasn’t seen since she left Ballybeggin under mortifying circumstances. Now she must explain her out-of-character actions to Garda Aine O’Dowd, a no nonsense professional who likes to knock people off kilter in order to get to the truth.

Will she be on Norma’s side when she hears the details? Or will she go with her initial gut instinct, that Norma is nothing more than an entitled, law-breaking diva?

CAST:
Irene Kelleher
Laura Harte

CREATIVE TEAM:
Directed by Laura O’Mahony
Lighting and Sound Design by Cormac O’Connor
Written and Produced by Katie Holly

Writer Katie Holly — shortlisted for Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (the world’s largest prize for women playwrights) and award winner at New York Festivals awards for audio drama — premieres her new play DIVA at Cork Arts Theatre this May. The script development of ‘Diva’ was kindly supported by Cork Theatre Collective and the Arts Council of Ireland.

To read more about Katie’s work visit www.katiehollytheatre.ie

Running Time: 60 minutes, no interval

Ticket Prices: €20
*Booking fees apply.

The post DIVA appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

The Dowry

Presented by Lee Side Drama Group
Written by Derry Cotter
Directed by John McCaffrey

​In the heart of a rural Irish village in the mid-1950s, the Barry family finds itself entangled in an intricate web of tradition, societal expectations, and familial duty. The Dowry unfolds within the confines of the Barry household’s kitchen, a microcosm of the larger societal dynamics at play. The narrative delves into the complexities of land succession, the plight of women in a patriarchal society, and the omnipresent influence of the Catholic Church.

The play opens with Sheila Barry and her daughter Mary preparing food, setting the stage for the return of Tom Barry, the patriarch, and John Joe Comerford, the village matchmaker. The conversation quickly turns to Liam Barry, the son, whose prowess on the hurling field is a source of pride for the family. Yet, beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic rural life, tensions simmer. The Barry family, like many others, is bound by the traditions of land inheritance, where the farm is passed to the eldest son only upon the father’s death.

The play’s tension reaches a crescendo with the introduction of Sarah Burke, Liam’s intended. Her presence in the Barry household is both a promise of continuity and a catalyst for conflict. The dowry negotiations, orchestrated by John Joe Comerford, become a battleground for control and legacy. Through a series of dramatic events, including a contentious land sale, the Barry family must confront their values and the future of their legacy.

CAST:
Ber Madden as Sheila Barry
Oliver Lynch as Liam Barry
Kelly Ann Healy as Sarah Burke
Michael Cronin as Father Kelly
Hannah McCaffrey as Mary Barry
Michael O’Keeffe as Tom Barry
William O’Riordan as John Joe Comerford

Duration: 2 hours
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Trigger Warnings: None

Ticket Prices: €18
*Booking fees apply.

The post The Dowry appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

Blue Hat Productions
presents

God of Carnage

Written by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Rosemary Sheehan & James Murphy

God of Carnage, a 2009 Tony Award-winning play by Yasmina Reza, is a comedy detailing the breakdown of civility between two upper-middle-class couples. Meeting to discuss a playground fight where one child broke another’s teeth, the parents’ polite discussion devolves into chaotic, personal attacks, highlighting adult immaturity, prejudice, and underlying human brutality.

“Brilliantly and viciously funny” – The Guardian
“A hugely entertaining and enjoyable comedy” – London Theatre
“How many parents defending their children become infantile themselves” – The Irish Times

CAST

Veronica Novac: Fiona Dunne
Michael Novac: Paul O’Sullivan
Alan Raleigh: Conor Jones
Annette Raleigh: Eimear O’Riordan

Running time: 1 hour 20mins
Age recommendation: 14+
Trigger Warnings: Strong language

Tickets: €18 plus booking fee

The post God of Carnage appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

Cork Arts Theatre in association with Cork Midsummer Festival
presents

Constellations

by Nick Payne
Directed by Al Dalton

“One drink. And if you never want to see me again you never have to see me again.”

Constellations by Nick Payne is a stirring love story with infinite possibilities. A quantum physicist and a beekeeper meet at a barbeque. They hit it off, or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they don’t. In the multiverse, with every possible future ahead of them, a love of honey could make all the difference.

Directed by Al Dalton (Misterman, The Cure) and starring actors Julie Maguire (The Quare Fellow, Anna Karenina – Abbey Theatre) and Aidan Moriarty (King Lear – Gate Theatre, Translations – Abbey Theatre), Constellations is the second in Cork Arts Theatre’s Re:Directing season 2026 – a series of contemporary plays platforming three Cork theatre directors, produced in-house and funded by The Arts Council.

A tender, and at times, heartbreaking drama about love, free will, and the choices that define us, Constellations runs for six performances only. Tipped by the Irish Times as one of the Top Twenty theatre events for 2026, don’t miss your chance to catch it !

“Who knew that higher physics could be so sexy, so accessible — and so emotionally devastating?” – The New York Times

Starring: Julie Maguire & Aidan Moriarty

Directed by Al Dalton
Set by Aedín Cosgrove
Lighting by Dara Hoban
Sound by Arran MacGabhann
Costume by Valentina Gambardella
Movement and Intimacy direction by Cathy Walsh

Technical Manager: Jamie Feehily
Production Manager: Joe McNicholas
Stage Manager: Aoife Byrne
Assistant Director: Chloe Walsh
Assistant Stage Manager: Ava Manning
Assistant Production Manager: Jack Kirby
Costume Assistant: Aneta Zbinova

Poster design: Martha Hegarty
Image: Martha Hegarty / Celeste Burdon

Duration: 80mins, no interval
Trigger warnings: Adult content / themes

Cork Arts Theatre is very grateful to sponsor Kevin O’Keeffe who is providing the living elements of the set for Constellations.

TICKET PRICES:

Wed 17th – Sat 20th June at 8.30pm plus Saturday matinee at 2pm.
Tickets: €24 / €20 conc. plus booking fee

Preview: Tuesday 16th, 8.30pm.
Tickets: €18 plus booking fee

The post Constellations appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

DMD presents

BOLD

Written by Marion Wyatt

They called her bold.

Set in Cork between the late 1960s and early 1970s, BOLD follows Maddie, a determined young girl with a fierce curiosity about the world of theatre. Refusing to accept the limits placed on her by school, family, and society, she pushes forward in search of something more. From youth club halls to the backstage corridors of the Opera House, Maddie throws herself into learning how theatre works, not just performing, but understanding every part of it. Along the way, she navigates friendship, ambition, first love, and loss while challenging authority at every turn. But choosing your own path comes at a cost.

Warm, funny, and deeply truthful, BOLD is a story about persistence, self-belief, and the courage to stand your ground—even when no one is listening.

Marion is a Cork-based playwright. Previous works include: The Echo Boys, Dockers, Shawlies, The Sunbeam Girls, Katty Barry, Queen of the Coal Quay. Her writing is known for its strong sense of place and authentic Cork voice.

Go on so—try stop her.

This is a world premiere. Previous productions from Marion have all SOLD OUT

CREATIVE TEAM:
Director – Marion Wyatt
Set Designer – Janet Dutchess
Lighting Designer – Jamie Feehily
Producers – DMD
Sound Design – Brockie & Wyatt
Original Music – Jimmy Brockie

Running time: 60 – 65 minutes, no interval
Age recommendation: Suitable for all ages

Tickets: €20, €18 concession
plus booking fee

The post BOLD appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

Featherbowl Theatre Group
presents

Broby Laundry Basket
(Model 7800)

Written by Brendan Griffin
Directed by Hanan Sheedy

For Noel and Lily, married thirty-four years, life is comfortable and predictable in the best possible way. That is, until a ghost from the summer of 1986 decides to sprint back into the spotlight.

Broby Laundry Basket (Model 7800) blends humour and heart with a dash of nostalgia. It’s a story about the things we hide, the truths that catch up with us, and the unexpected ways we rebuild – sometimes with an Allen key.

Cast: Ann Dorgan and John Morgan
Director: Hanan Sheedy
Set Design: Hannah Lane
Writer: Brendan Griffin

Running time: 75minutes – no interval
Age recommendation: 14+

Tickets: €20, €18 concession
plus booking fee

The post Broby Laundry Basket (Model 7800) appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

Livewire Theatre presents

The Komodo Heart

by Roger Gregg

Children’s fantasy author Karl McCarthy has been in seclusion for over a decade.  At long last he’s reached out to his American agent with a much-anticipated sequel. Reading the story together, they embark on an epic quest of heroes, villains, monsters and magic. We soon discover however they are not light-heartedly skipping through a child’s dream but ensnared in the nightmares of torn relationships and shattered lives. This hour-long dark satire, featuring veteran actors Martina Carroll, Charlie Ruxton and Roger Gregg, is a bold, imaginative production which grapples with the very real monsters rampaging through the self-delusions, abuses and torments of damaged men.

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
Writer and sound design – Roger Gregg
Martina Carroll – Viprella
Charlie Ruxton – Karl McCarthy. Crockerton ‘Croc’ Komodo
Roger Gregg – Various roles
Elle Keating – Puffelah ‘Puff’

Creative Designer – Charlie Ruxton
Director – Roger Gregg

Special thanks to Tamasin MacCarthy Morrogh

Running time: 60mins, no interval
Age recommendation: 18+
Trigger Warnings: Strong language, Adult themes.

Tickets: €20 (incl. Lunch and Show 1pm), €15 (Show only 1pm), €18 (8pm Show)
plus booking fee

The post The Komodo Heart appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.

Noggin Theatre Company presents

Violet Gibson;
The Woman Who Shot Mussolini

Written by Alice Barry

On 7 April 1926, Violet Gibson, an Irishwoman, fired on Mussolini in the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome — an act that grazed the dictator’s nose and reverberated across Europe. A century later, that moment feels eerily current. As the world grapples with the resurgence of authoritarianism, Gibson’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming adversity. This production offers a rare opportunity to delve into the psyche of a suppressed Victorian woman who defied societal norms and challenged the political establishment of her time. From her privileged upbringing in Ireland (her father was Lord Ashbourne) to her eventual confrontation with fascism, audiences witness the gripping journey of a real woman driven by conviction and courage.

Alice Barry delivers a mesmerising performance, embodying the complexities and nuances of Violet Gibson’s character with unparalleled skill and emotional depth. Gibson’s legacy is honoured with authenticity and respect.

This is a timely exploration of power, resistance, and the enduring legacy of individuals who dare to challenge injustice.

REVIEWS:
“ … a visionary espousing a more dramatic, interesting and influential role for women in society.”
“…observational pearls too, strung together by a very particular and engaged performance of an interesting woman who has been rescued from some of the dustier pages of history.” – Liam Heylin, Evening Echo

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
Written and Performed by Alice Barry
Director – Jason Byrne
Associate Director – Hanan Sheedy
Designer – Steve Neale

Running time: 112mins no interval
Age recommendation: 13+

Tickets: €20, €18 concession
plus booking fee

The post Violet Gibson; The Woman Who Shot Mussolini appeared first on Cork Arts Theatre.