Cancelled - VERA&SON
2025-03-05 - 2025-03-15 | Cork Arts Theatre, Carroll's Quay, Cork, T23 X72D, Ireland
This production has, unfortunately, been cancelled
VERA&SON

A new play by Patrick Talbot

featuring Fionula Linehan and Michael Sands

A mother. A son. The mother passes away and spends a night back in her old house. After family, friends and neighbours disperse the son finds himself alone with the coffin. What does he do? What else can he do? He chats to his mother. But some of what he says should perhaps have been said a long time ago.
VERA&SON looks at the unique relationship between a mother and son over a number of decades, set against the Ireland of the 1960s and 70s and beyond. Inspired by the playwright’s own mother it is a funny and moving portrait of a larger than life woman whose resourcefulness and quick humour are utterly integral to the welfare and survival of the family around her.
VERA&SON tells a story that so many of us will identify with.
Previous titles by Patrick Talbot include God Bless the Child (Everyman Theatre Cork, Cork Opera House, Gaiety Theatre Dublin, Lyric Theatre Belfast and two national tours); A Great Arrangement (Everyman Theatre Cork, Gaiety Theatre Dublin, MAC Belfast and national tour); Intimacies and Elephants (Everyman Theatre) and Two Lord Mayors (co-written with James McKeon) (Everyman Theatre audio broadcast).
Directed by Patrick Talbot
Set Design by Jim Queally
Lighting by Jamie Feehily
Sound and Projection by Cormac O’Connor
Costumes by Jessica Healy
Produced by Patrick Talbot Productions

Seven Ages of Mam
2025-03-11 - 2025-03-15
Tuesday 11th to Saturday 15th March @ 8.00pm

Pauline O’Driscoll Productions presents
Seven Ages of Mam
Fresh from a SELL OUT run at The Civic in Tallaght, Cork Arts Theatre is delighted to host this laugh-out-loud funny yet poignant one woman show that has garnered rave reviews, and was nominated BEST NEW PLAY at Brighton Fringe Festival in 2019.
A contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy – but from a Mam’s point of view!
Her hilarious take on motherhood, sexuality, grief, infidelity, ageing, love, lust and loneliness.
Starring Pauline O’Driscoll (The Tourist, The Dry, Borderline, Smalltown, The Young Offenders) and directed by Tom Kibbe.
“MUST SEE SHOW wondrously inventive exploration of motherhood, grief, lust, heartbreak and joy… hilariously detailed….consummately acted…. wholly believable. What O’Driscoll is master of is pause and sudden tangent. The surprise monologue, the hilariously detailed aside, the squirm of embarrassment, and the language of love and forgiveness and letting go. The most original riff on the Seven Ages I’ve seen, and so beautifully subsumed you might not notice it at all … See it.” – Simon Jenner, FringeReview
Albeit a female centric piece about what it means to be a woman and a mother, Seven Ages of MAM resonates with anyone who is a mam, knows a mam or ever had a mam…. in other words everyone!
The creative team behind Seven Ages of MAM:
Pauline O’Driscoll (performer, producer & co -writer)
Mark Evans (co-writer)
Tom Kibbe (director)
Jamie Feehily (Lighting design)

Tickets: €20. Special opening night price of €18 on Tuesday 11th.
*Booking fees apply.

Philadelphia, Here I Come!
2025-03-19 - 2025-03-22
Wednesday 19th – Saturday 22nd March 2025 @ 8pm

LongStory Theatre Group presents

Philadelphia, Here I Come!

by Brian Friel

Frustrated with his humdrum smalltown life in 1960s rural Ireland, Gar O’Donnell has made up his mind to emigrate to Philadelphia. Or, at least, he thinks he has. On the eve of his departure, life goes on as usual for everyone else. His untalkative father hardly seems to acknowledge that they will never meet again. Gar’s memory keeps straying to his one missed chance at love. And in the ‘survival shelter’ of his bedroom, his only real company on this long last night is the voice inside his head: Gar’s one constant playfellow, the confident man he yearns to be, but also, above all, his stinging conscience.
Friel’s masterful study of rural Irish society, the lure of distant shores, the inner world of the mind, and the life of unexpressed emotion, speaks as clearly to today’s audiences as it did to the theatregoers of 1964. In this production, Friel’s ingenious original idea — representing Public and Private Gar as separate characters — will be given a unique twist: the actors of Public and Private Gar will swap roles every night of the run.
Directed by Cian Morey and Jack Widger
*This amateur production of “Philadelphia, Here I Come!” is presented by arrangement with
Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk.
Tickets: €18, €15 (concessions)
*Booking fees apply.

Broadway Kidz
2025-03-24 - 2025-03-26
Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th March @ 7.30pm
Montfort College of Performing Arts ​presents

Broadway Kidz

The Montfort College of Performing Arts is proud to present ‘Broadway Kidz’ – a musical revue celebrating its 63rd year of showcasing the best of Cork talent. The students of the Montfort Youth Choir whose ages range from 9 – 18 years will transport you to the stages of Broadway and the West End as they beguile you with familiar standards from the world’s greatest musicals including Wicked, Chicago, A Little Night Music, School of Rock & Annie and also a sprinkle of some new contemporary classics such as Amelie, Spring Awakening & Songs for a New World. A first class night of musical theatre for all the family is guaranteed.
Musical Director: Robbie Pender
Choreographers: Laurie O’ Driscoll & Karen Walsh
Tickets are €15, €12 concessions.
*Booking fees apply.

REMOTE
2025-03-28 - 2025-03-29
Friday 28th to Saturday 29th March @ 7.30pm
Montfort College of Performing Arts ​presents

REMOTE

by Stef Smith

Directed by Sinéad Crowley

‘You know back in the day there would have been wolves here. And that’s us. We’re the wolves now. And it’s important people know that’.
A girl called Antler steps out of her front door and throws her phone on the ground. She stamps on it. She then climbs the tallest tree in the park. She doesn’t want to be found, not by anyone. Seven teenagers’ lives all intertwine over the course of a single evening as they make their way through the park on a seemingly normal Autumn’s night. Remote is a play about protest, power and protecting yourself.
******
In September 2022 the Montfort College of Performing Arts established a Senior company drama class under the direction of Sinéad Crowley. The work of the students culminates in a fully staged play which allows them to put to use all the skills developed over the course of the year. The students have appeared in two acclaimed pieces to date; ‘The Boy Preference’ (2023) and ‘Old Times’ in (2024).
This year we are delighted to present the inaugural production from our newly formed Intermediate company drama class, directed by Sinéad Crowley.
Tickets are €15, €12 concessions.
*Booking fees apply.

Unmasked '25
2025-03-31 - 2025-04-05
Monday 31st March to Saturday 5th April @ 7pm
CADA Performing Arts ​presents

Unmasked ’25

Unmasked, what does it mean? Taking the original mask off and being able to replace it with a mask of the actor’s choice creating a character, a situation, an experience of drama.
CADA Performing Arts students will take to the stage to present Unmasked ’25 at the Cork Arts Theatre from Monday 31st March.
Unmasked ’25, presents drama pieces from Babies Revenge, The Wizard Chamber, Dumped in the Swamp and many more interesting pieces of dram, melodrama, experimental drama to comedy. The performers who take their original mask off range in age from 3 to 20 years plus.
This is definitely one of Cork’s finest drama weeks performed by our future amazing actors. Every aspect of Unmasked ’25 is interesting and unique, creating great memories for actors and audience.
Mon 31st March – 7pm
1. Mouse Makeover; Sat 1.00 Glanmire
2. The Orphanage; Sat 11.15 Pine St
3. Scared Scarecrows; Sat 9.30 Glanmire
4. Let there be Light; Sat 11.00 Glanmire
5. The Wizard’s Chamber; Fri 7.30
6 . Ten Pages; Mon 6.00
Tue 1st April – 7pm
1. The Waterhole Adventure; Sat 10.00 Pine St
2. Munchkinland; Sat 12.45 Pine St
3. Babies Revenge; Mon 4.30
4. Popular; Sat 2.30 Glanmire
5. Manger Mystery; Sat 4.15 Glanmire
6. Dumped in the Swamp; Sat 2.15 Pine St
Wed 2nd April – 7pm
1. Mouse Makeover; Sat 1.00 Glanmire
2. The Orphanage; Sat 11.15 Pine St
3. Let there be Light; Sat 11.00 Glanmire
4. Scared Scarecrows; Sat 9.30 Glanmire
5. Ten Pages; Mon 6.00
6. The Wizard’s Chamber; Fri 7.30
Thur 3rd April – 7pm
1. The Waterhole Adventure; Sat 10.00 Pine St
2. Munchkinland; Sat 12.45 Pine St
3. Babies Revenge; Mon 4.30
4. Popular; Sat 2.30 Glanmire
5. Manger Mystery; Sat 4.15 Glanmire
6. Dumped in the Swamp; Sat 2.15 Pine St
Fri 4th April – 7pm
1. Mouse Makeover; Sat 1.00 Glanmire
2. The Orphanage; Sat 11.15 Pine St
3. Scared Scarecrows; Sat 9.30 Glanmire
4. Dumped in the Swamp; Sat 2.15 Pine St
5. The Wizard’s Chamber; Fri 7.30
6. Let there be Light; Sat 11.00 Glanmire
Sat 5th April – 7pm
1. The Waterhole Adventure; Sat 10.00 Pine St
2. Munchkinland; Sat 12.45 Pine St
3. Manger Mystery; Sat 4.15 Glanmire
4. Babies Revenge; Mon 4.30
5. Popular; Sat 2.30 Glanmire
6. Ten Pages; Mon 6.00
Artistic Director: Catherine Mahon-Buckley
Directors: Fionula Linehan, Moyra O’Hare and Megan O’Mahony
Tickets are €20*
*Booking fees apply.

The Cure
2025-04-09 - 2025-04-19
Wednesday 9th – Saturday 19th April @ 8pm
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND AFTER A SOLD OUT RUN IN 2024!

Hiya Fella Productions proudly presents

The Cure

by Cónal Creedon

It’s a sleepy Saturday mornin’ in Cork, a man stands on Half Moon Street and just around the corner Christmas. The hangover fear is starting to dawn. He is waiting for a pub, any pub, to open so he can get “the cure”. As he waits, he thinks, thinks and waits, as he stands there his past walks towards him, a Christian Brother, the Christian brother, Brother Keenan. How will he deal with this encounter, he asks himself? We travel back to his childhood spent in a Cork city, redolent with the smell of slaughter-houses, pubs and sweet-makers.
Starring Ciaran Bermingham (Sexy Laundry, Game of Thrones, The Young Offenders), directed by Al Dalton (At The Moment, Everything Is Missing & Tall Tail) and written by award-winning novelist, playwright and documentary film maker Cónal Creedon, The Cure is not to be missed.
“brilliantly balanced enactment of poignant comedy” ☆☆☆☆ The Irish Times
Performed by Ciaran Bermingham
Directed by Al Dalton
Set Design – Davy Dummigan
Lighting Design – Hanan Sheedy
Sound Design – Conor Clancy
Production image photographer – Zé Bateira
Tickets: €18, €15 (Concession)
*Booking fees apply.

JUMP!?
2025-04-22 - 2025-04-23
Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd April @ 8.00pm
(Two shows only)

JUMP!?
A Middle-Aged, Coming-Of-Age play.
Hilarious, Hor-mental, Taboo Busting Comedy.

Written and performed by Pauline O’Driscoll

Monica is on the edge, literally! She’s had enough, of being nice and reasonable and sensible, not to mention her temperamental fffing washing machine. She wants to scream and shout. She wants more… including but not limited to the perfect cocktail… of hormones! A bold, truthful and delightfully comic leapfrog through all the taboo minefields of female hormones and sexuality from menstruation to menopause and everything in between.
“Something has to change… to jump or not to jump that is the question!”
What audiences are saying about JUMP!?
“An extraordinary piece and an extraordinary performance of it. An acting masterclass.”
“Absolutely incredible! Full of energy, antics and stories of life and love and hormones.”
“Side-splittingly funny. Passionate, courageous and athletic! I can’t recommend JUMP!? enough.”
Directed by Karen Minihan
Set Design by Hannah Bethan Lane
Projection + Sound Design by Cormac O’Connor
Lighting Design by Jamie Feehily
This production was created as part of the Creative Empowerment Award, supported by Cork Arts Theatre and The Community Foundation of Ireland.
Recommended age 16+. Adult Themes & Sexual References.
Tickets: €20, Group Rate Ticket – 6 Tickets for €108 (€18 each)
*Booking fees apply.

On Wings of Song
2025-04-25 - 2025-04-27
Friday 25th – Sunday 27th April 2025
Friday and Saturday @ 7.30pm; Sunday @ 2.30pm
Leeside Voices ​presents

On Wings Of Song

The voices blend together with the piano in solos, duets and trios in an eclectic mix of favourite hits from Broadway shows, such as Kiss me Kate (Wunderbar), Calamity Jane (My Secret Love), and Paint Your Wagon (I Talk to the Trees), together with a variety of well-known songs. The show revolves around the many and varied emotions which are well expressed when “said with music”.
Leeside Voices are:
Anne Bermingham – Soprano
Denis Lane – Baritone
Noel Somers – Tenor
Accompanist: Tom Doyle
Musical Director: Aileen Scriven
Narrator: Eithne Horgan

Tickets: €18
*Booking fees apply.

A Grand Night for Singing
2025-04-28 - 2025-04-30
Monday 28th to Wednesday 30th April @ 7.30pm
plus 5.30pm show Weds. 30th

Montfort College of Performing Arts ​presents

A Grand Night for Singing

The Montfort College of Performing Arts are proud to present ‘A Grand Night For Singing’.
Join us for a glorious evening of songs from Broadway to the West End! The singing students from the Montfort College under the guidance of Emma Nash, Naomi Ryan, Muireann Slattery and Luke Condon will perform a wide and varied repertoire with songs from Matilda, Singing in the Rain, Oliver, The Secret Garden, Anastasia and many, many more!
Accompanist – Ronan Holohan
Tickets: €15
*Booking fees apply.

Heavy Weather
2025-05-02 - 2025-05-03
Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd May @ 7.30pm
plus Matinee Friday 3rd @ 2.30pm

Montfort College of Performing Arts ​presents

Heavy Weather

by Lizzie Nunnery

In September 2022 the Montfort College of Performing Arts established a company drama class under the direction of Sinéad Crowley. The work of the students culminates in a fully staged play which allows them to put to use all the skills developed over the course of the year. Following on from their hugely successful inaugural production in 2023 of ‘The Boy Preference’ and ‘Old Times’ in 2024 the students are delighted to present ‘Heavy Weather’ in 2025.
Lizzie Nunnery’s ‘Heavy Weather’ is a powerful, timely play featuring songs, about one girl’s journey through a world teetering on the brink.
Mona is a young woman on the edge. All she sees is the Earth falling apart, but no one really seems to care. Amidst the chaos of competing and contradictory voices, she sets off on a kaleidoscopic journey to find solutions for the planet – and the truth about her family – in the hope that everything might start to make sense again.
‘Wonderful… a lovely piece of theatre with great characters for young actors to get their teeth into, familiar issues and situations and lots of humour that still treats the issues very seriously… well worth a look for any teenage youth-theatre group’ – British Theatre Guide
‘A fascinating challenge, with an intriguing role for the ensemble and lots of scope for a compelling visual translation… a young, brilliant director could do wonders with this’ – Broadway World
‘Thrums with life and urgency’ – BritishTheatre.com
Director: Sinéad Crowley
Tickets: €15, €12 concession for students
*Booking fees apply.

The Bold Ensemble Improv Thingimabob
2025-05-06
Tuesday 6th May @ 8pm
The Bold Ensemble Improv Thingimabob

THE BOLD ENSEMBLE IMPROV THINGIMABOB IS BACK!!!
Due to popular demand after their sellout show in 2024, The Bold Ensemble return to Cork Arts Theatre for one night only with their Improv Thingimabob.

A HILARIOUS NIGHT OF COMEDY SKETCHES BASED ON AUDIENCE SUGGESTIONS.
Come and see how a neglected child fights off a blood thirsty bear that turns into Cate Blanchett! Help unmask the dastardly killer of Paddington Bear, or soak up the wisdom of the 3 Headed Oracle.
These are just a few examples from their last show at CAT of the hundreds of totally original madcap scenes that The Bold Ensemble have been delighting Cork audiences with for over 10 years.
Come along to this great fun night and see your suggestions, however zany, played out for you on the spot.
Dave Ramseyer, Orla Burke, Mark Cosgrave, Micheál Roche, Sheila Kelleher, Ivy Favier & Aiden O’Brien… We Are The Bold Ensemble.
Not suitable for under 16s.
Running time approximately 1hr 30/45 mins including interval.

Tickets: €15, €12.50 (concessions)
*Booking fees apply.

Notice Box
2025-05-07
Wednesday 7th May @ 8pm
The Irish Creative Collective presents

Notice Box

by Simon Hennessy

A concept comedy show about life on our phones, from the most chronically online of creatures – the internet comedian.
Notice Box is internet sensation Simon Hennessy’s sophomore solo show, embarking on a UK, Ireland and beyond tour in 2025 following a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2024. Combining songs, sketches, and stand-up, it’s an hour that blends farcical and sharp humour with honest introspection on the allure and anxieties of the digital world. Through the use of music and multimedia reminiscent of a Bo Burnham special and with a narrative style similar to his compatriot Aisling Bea, Hennessy explores the online worlds we carry in our pockets and spend (be honest) most of our lives.
Writer, creator, and performer Simon Hennessy is an Irish comedian and actor who rose to prominence via his satirical social media sketches and viral characters such as Remy and Adam from Bumble, seeing him amass 396,000 followers and over 300 million views. His first solo hour, Afters, completed a sellout tour of the UK and Ireland in 2023, and he has featured in TV series on RTE and Virgin Media. Notice Box premiered with a 30 minute preview at the work-in-progress Scene + Heard festival in February 2024.
The Irish Creative Collective (established in April 2022 by president Joe O’Neill) is a network for Irish creatives established in London to showcase the best of emerging Irish talent in the UK and Ireland across a range of disciplines including comedy, theatre, and more, hosting monthly events and frequently collaborating with the Irish Embassy and London Irish Centre.
★★★★★ “Creative, hilarious and memorable” – Lovin Dublin
“Excellent” – Foil, Arms & Hog
“Deserves every bit of attention he gets” – Hank Green
Run time: 1 hour
Suitable for 16 and older.
Tickets: €20
*Booking fees apply.

Cork International Poetry Festival 2025
2025-05-14 - 2025-05-17
Wednesday 14th – Saturday 17th May 2025
Cork International Poetry Festival

The Cork International Poetry Festival is Ireland’s biggest annual poetry festival. It celebrates Cork as a vibrant poetry scene with international connections. Every year major Irish and international poets gather for four days of readings, discussions, workshops and film.
The programme of readings taking place this year at the Cork Arts Theatre is as follows:

Wednesday 14th May @ 7pm
Pat Boran and Rosemary Jenkinson
Details and Booking

Wednesday 14th May @ 8.30pm
John McAuliffe and Thomas McCarthy
Details and Booking

Wednesday 14th May @ 10pm
Frank McGuinness and Maurice Riordan
Details and Booking

Thursday 15th May @ 7pm
Susannah Dickey and Jaki McCarrick
Details and Booking

Thursday 15th May @ 8.30pm
Ciaran Berry and James Harpur
Details and Booking

Thursday 15th May @ 10pm
Jane Clarke and Pádraig Ó Tuama
Details and Booking

Friday 16th May @ 7pm
Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill

Details and Booking

Friday 16th May @ 8.30pm
Leeanne Quinn and Richard Scott
Details and Booking

Friday 16th May @ 10pm
Nick Makoha and Nisrine Mbarki
Details and Booking

Saturday 17th May @ 3pm
Fool for Poetry & Gregory O’Donoghue Prize Readings
Details and Booking

Saturday 17th May @ 4.30pm
Spléachadh ar Aneas
Details and Booking

Saturday 17th May @ 7pm
Fiona Benson and Traci Brimhall

Details and Booking

Saturday 17th May @ 8.30pm
Theresa Muñoz and Mary O’Malley
Details and Booking

Saturday 17th May @ 10pm
Marie Howe and Krisztina Tóth
Details and Booking

Montfort College Drama Showcase
2025-05-19
Monday 19th May @ 7.00pm

Montfort College of Performing Arts ​presents

Drama Showcase

Join us for a show full of poetry, improvisation, solo, duologue and group acting pieces presented by the drama students from our Fermoy studio under the expert guidance of teacher and director, Valerie O’Leary.
Our students from our Fermoy studio will entertain you with drama pieces of the highest quality. Come and support our young performers as they shine on stage. A wonderful evening of theatre guaranteed.
Tickets: €10
*Booking fees apply.

Underneath by Pat Kinevane
2025-05-21 - 2025-05-24
Wednesday 21st – Saturday 24th May @ 8pm

Fishamble: The New Play Company presents
UNDERNEATH

Written and performed by Pat Kinevane
Directed by Jim Culleton
Sticks and stones didn’t break Her bones, but words and pointing crushed Her.
Is Beauty really only skin deep?
Does Ugliness hide somewhere deeper?
This stunning play is a blackly comic, rich and vivid tale of a life lived in secret, a testament to the people who live on the fringes, under the nose of everyday life. It explores the surface, and what lies underneath.
WINNER Adelaide Fringe Best Theatre Award, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2015
WINNER Scotsman Fringe First, Edinburgh Festival 2015
WINNER Stage Raw Best Solo Performer Award, Los Angeles
FORBES’ BEST THEATRE ON BROADWAY AND BEYOND LIST

‘Like Olivier’s legendary Hamlet, this is one of those rare performances that will be talked about for decades to come… exciting, hilarious, harrowing and heart breaking… A devastatingly brilliant piece of theatre.’
★★★★★ Examiner.com
Tickets: €27, €23 conc.
*Booking fees apply.

Views from a Couch
2025-05-27 - 2025-05-31
Tuesday 27th May – Saturday 31st May @ 8pm
Views from a Couch
Ten brand-new, ten minute plays will have their world premieres at the Cork Arts Theatre from Tuesday 27th May to Saturday 31st May as part of our ‘Views from a Couch’ event.
Established in 2015, the annual ‘Views from…’ series was conceived in order to encourage new writing for the stage and to bring those characters and stories to life in the intimate setting of the Cork Arts Theatre. It is also an important fundraiser for our little theatre.
With a different theme each year, the event sees hundreds of entries from authors all over the world. Some of the best acting and directing talent that Cork has to offer then set to work to create a wonderful evening of theatre that has proved immensely popular with audiences over the years.
This year a humble couch is the setting for the plays. But where is the couch situated? What part does it play in the stories that unfold? What characters will visit this setting? We do hope you’ll come along to find out.
The 10 plays that have been selected from this year’s submissions are as follows:
ACT I

S/Wiped Out by Joanne Geary
Chameleon by Raegan Payne
Death and the Couch Potato by Susan Knight
The Preliminary Visit by Eithne Horgan
Mi Casa by Darren Hall

ACT II

Tomorrow by Scott Mullen
Diagnoses by Alan McCormick
Passion Therapy by Rachel Feeny-Williams
Timesavers by Barry Wood
Twofer by Alan O’Regan

This event is usually very well attended so we advise early booking to avoid disappointment.
Age Recommendation: 14+
Tickets: €16
*Booking fees apply.

LOVERS
2025-06-04 - 2025-06-07
Wednesday 4th – Saturday 7th June @ 8pm

Lee Promotions presents
LOVERS

by Brian Friel

Tyrone, 1967.
Joe and Mag sit upon a hill studying for their final school exams. The two debate, laugh and argue over their future together, which may be complicated, as Mag is pregnant.
Andy and Hanna continue to explore their promiscuous and exciting love affair, despite Hanna’s sick mother doing her very best to interfere.
CAST:
Mag – Sarah Terry
Joe – Sam Torres
Andy – Cian Lehane
Hanna – Allison Aucott
Cissy – Esther Byrne
Mrs. Wilson – Margaret O’Sullivan
Directed by Aaron O’Keeffe
Set Design by Hannah Lane
Tickets: €18, €15 conc.
*Booking fees apply.

So Much Beckett!
2025-06-12 - 2025-06-14
Thursday 12th – Saturday 14th June @ 8pm

The Little Terrible Theatre of West Cork presents

SO MUCH BECKETT!

5 Short Plays over 3 evenings
Plays by Samuel Beckett
Directed by Jennifer Williams
If you can’t get enough of master playwright Samuel Beckett, you can see some of his best-known and lesser-known works over 3 evenings this June. How much Beckett will there be? SO MUCH BECKETT!
***
Thursday 12th & Saturday 14th June:
4 plays performed in one evening:
ROUGH FOR THEATRE I
by Samuel Beckett
Two men meet unexpectedly in an unknown landscape. Will they be able to peacefully co-exist, or will they turn on each other in the end?
FOOTFALLS
by Samuel Beckett
A mother and daughter are locked in an eternal loop of conversation and memory in a strange and ghostly space.
ROUGH FOR THEATRE II
by Samuel Beckett
In a dark house in the middle of the night, a man stands motionless on a window ledge, contemplating suicide. Two mysterious visitors appear – will they save him, or let him jump?
ROCKABY
by Samuel Beckett
Trapped inside her fragmented memories, a woman rocks herself towards an unknown ending.
***
Friday 13th June:
1 play performed in one evening
KRAPP’S LAST TAPE
by Samuel Beckett
with Patrick Bracken
A man at the end of his life reflects on his youthful aspirations as he listens to audio recordings of himself from years earlier. Krapp is a tragic-comic figure as he recounts his experiences of disappointment, failure and regret.
***
SO MUCH BECKETT! is produced by the Little Terrible Theatre of West Cork (LTT). An independent theatre company performing a range of plays from classics to avant-garde works by newly emerging playwrights, LTT strives to provide an eclectic and entertaining experience for its audiences.
NOTE: Please ensure you book tickets for the correct date: 12th & 14th June for the 4 short plays in the one night, and 13th June for Krapp’s Last Tape only.
This amateur production of “Krapp’s Last Tape”, “Rough for Theatre I”, “Rough for Theatre II”, “Footfalls”, and “Rockaby” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
Event image –Patrick Bracken as ‘Krapp’ . Photographer John Minihan.
Tickets: €18
*Booking fees apply.

Amhráin na Mara - Songs of the Sea
2025-06-17
Tuesday 17th June @ 7.30pm

Amhráin na Mara
Songs of the Sea

Éamonn, Wike, Aisling, Aoife & Arin
Turas amhránaíochta “trasna na dtonnta” ó Chorcaigh go dtí an Ghailís is ea Amhráin na Mara.

Amhráin na Mara is a sing-along voyage “trasna na dtonnta” from Cork to Galicia.
Oíche thaitneamhach a bheidh ann le amhráin mhara as Gaeilge, Béarla agus Galego. Bainfidh tú sult as a bheith ag canadh i dteannta le hÉamonn, Wike, Aisling, Aoife agus Arin. Canfaidh siad roinnt amhráin atá ann leis na blianta, chomh maith le roinnt amhráin nuachumtha. Cuirfear na liricí ar fáil ar an oíche.

An enjoyable night of singing maritime songs in Irish, English and Galician. You will enjoy singing along with Éamonn, Wike, Aisling, Aoife and Arin. They will sing a range of songs that have been around for many moons and a number of new compositions. The lyrics will be provided on the night.
Bíonn sé de nós ag Wike Schippers, Aisling Wharton, Aoife Conroy, Arin Harper agus Éamonn Ó Ceallaigh canadh agus casadh ina n-aonar agus lena chéile ag imeachtaí éagsúla i gCorcaigh agus Cúige Mumhan.

Wike Schippers, Aisling Wharton, Aoife Conroy, Arin Harper and Éamonn Ó Ceallaigh, perform individually and collaboratively at various events in Cork and Munster.
Tá Éamonn ag comhoibriú faoi láthair le Meitheal Mara, Community Boatyard Cork d’fhonn Amhráin na Mara agus Rabhcáin Mharaí a chanadh i measc mhuintir Chorcaí agus na Gailíse.

Éamonn is currently collaborating with Meitheal Mara, Community Boatyard Cork to sing Amhráin na Mara and Sea Shanties with the people of Cork and Galicia.
Tickets: €16, €12 (concessions)
*Booking fees apply.

The Black Wolfe Tone
2025-06-20 - 2025-06-21
Friday 20th and Saturday 21st June @ 8pm

Fishamble: The New Play Company and Irish Repertory Theatre in association with The Everyman present

The Black Wolfe Tone

by Kwaku Fortune

A young man on the edge. A past that won’t let go.
The Black Wolfe Tone is a fast-paced and urgent new play about identity, masculinity, and the unspoken battles fought within.
As he searches for forgiveness, he confronts the weight of silence and rage that lies beneath the surface. All the while wrestling with a need to be seen, held, and heard.
Following its premiere in New York, the play comes to Ireland on tour to bring its raw intensity and emotional depth to audiences nationwide.
Written and performed by Kwaku Fortune, this gripping work was developed through the groundbreaking Transatlantic Commissions Programme created by Fishamble and Irish Repertory Theatre to amplify Black Irish voices.
A must-see for those who crave theatre that challenges, moves, and lingers long after the final bow.
Established in 1988, Fishamble is an Olivier Award-winning Irish theatre company dedicated to discovering, developing, and producing new plays of national importance with a global reach. They have produced numerous acclaimed works and support over 50% of new plays produced in Ireland annually.
Playwright: Kwaku Fortune
Director: Nicola Murphy Dubey
Voice of Nurse: Clare Barrett
Set and Costume Design: Maree Kearns
Lighting Design: Adam Honoré
Music and Sound Design: Denis Clohessy
Artistic Director (Fishamble): Jim Culleton
Artistic Director (Irish Repertory Theatre): Charlotte Moore
Age suitability: 14+ (strong language, adult themes, discrimination, violence)
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: €25, €23
(booking fees apply)

Friends from the West End
2025-06-23 - 2025-06-25
Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th June @ 8pm
plus matinee on Wed 25th at 3pm

PW&Co ​presents

Friends from the West End

An Original Musical Revue

One friend moved from London to the Emerald Isle… now it’s time to fly a few others over!
This June, three Friends From the West End reunite — sharing nostalgic, heartwarming, and hilarious stories from their time in some of the world’s biggest musicals. With rich vocals and a lot of heart, this is a thoughtfully curated programme of close harmony, standout musical theatre numbers, and storytelling — with a pinch of theatrical mischief.
Starring:
Sam O’Rourke (Mary Poppins, Half a Sixpence)
Natalie Green (Wicked, Prince of Egypt, Parade)
Paul Wilkins (Les Misérables, Hair, The Dreamers)
Created & Produced by: Paul Wilkins
Musical Director/Pianist: Cathal Synnott (Riverdance, The Threepenny Opera, Once)
Age Suitability: 8+
Running Time: 2hrs inc. 20 min Interval.
Tickets: €25 (incl. booking fee)
Student Ticket (Matinee only): €20 (incl. booking fee)
Group Rate* (Matinee only): €16.25 pp for groups of 6 or more
*Note: Group rate can only be booked in person, or by calling the venue on 021 4505624

Roald Dahl's Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
2025-07-05
Saturday 5th July @ 3pm and 6pm
Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

A howlingly hilarious musical

We are so excited to bring this brilliant poem to life as a 60 minute musical suitable for all ages. We have gathered a cast of 13 fabulous young actors aged between 9 and 14 years of age from all over Cork City and County alongside our live mini orchestra.
Join us in the woods and meet Red Riding Hood and her dog Sniffy, her Granny, three very silly Pigs and their supporters and a Wolf and his gang, with big eyes. big ears and a big appetite, as we tell you Roald Dahl’s version of this classic tale through music and song.
Director/Musical Director – Orla Palliser
Choreographer – Caitlin O’Callaghan
Tickets: €15
*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

Allison
2025-07-09 - 2025-07-12
Wednesday 9th – Saturday 12th July

Wednesday to Saturday @ 8pm, plus a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.

Lost in the Canon Theatre Company presents

Allison

by Mike O’Dowd

“The World? Why does she wanna go to the world? That’s where all the bad stuff happens”
Chris O’ Donovan, a 23 year old, wannabe writer is leading a hermit-like existence in his mould infested bedroom, where he spends most of his time watching cuckold porn, coming up with more efficient masturbation techniques and berating his flatmate Steve over the unpaid broadband bill. However while scrolling through his socials one day, he discovers five little words that are about to send him spiraling over the edge… “Allison is in a relationship”.
‘Brought to you by the team behind 2024’s acclaimed production of ‘After Luke’ and starring Cork School of Music’s Pierce Joseph, ‘Allison’ is a darkly comic drama exploring themes of obsessive infatuation, social alienation and toxic masculinity.
Please note: Not suitable for under 18’s. Contains strong sexual references throughout. Themes of toxic masculinity and mental health, with one reference to child physical abuse.
Run Time: 1 hour
** Post show discussion after Thursday night’s performance **
Director Leon Danza and actor Pierce Joseph join writer Mike O’Dowd in a post show conversation where they will be discussing their approach to the play, characterisation, direction and other aspects of the creative process.
Director – Leon Danza
Asst. Director – Niall Holland
Sound design – Matthew Lucas
Lighting Designer – Christian Sumstad
Production Manager – Simon McKeon
Production Assistant – Richie McDonnell
Photo Credit – Michael Strapec Photography

‘Allison’ is part of our Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performances, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

The Smuggler
2025-07-16 - 2025-07-19
Wednesday 16th – Saturday 19th July

Wednesday to Saturday @ 8pm, plus a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
The Smuggler

by Ronán Noone

It’s 2025. Tim Finnegan is an Irish immigrant trying to make it as a writer on Amity, an affluent summer colony in Massachusetts, where tensions flare between the migrant and local communities after a fatal car crash. When he loses his job as a bartender and his two-year-old son Eddie falls ill, Tim gets drawn into the dark underbelly of the island. The Smuggler examines how far one man will go to restore his self-respect and asks the question, “What does it mean to be an American citizen?”
Written entirely in rhymed verse, Ronán Noone won the Best Playwright Award for this gripping, playful, and strikingly original work at New York’s Origin Theatre’s 1st Irish Festival in 2019. This production made its Off-Broadway premiere at Irish Repertory Theatre in 2023, earning acclaim for its environmental staging, unflinching relevance, and Michael Mellamphy’s tour-de-force performance.
Directed by two-time Tony Award-winning producer Conor Bagley, and produced by New York entrepreneur Jessica M. DeLucia, The Smuggler stars Michael Mellamphy – known for his work on US television, the New York stage, and as the cheeky outlaw Seán MacGuire in the global video game phenomenon Red Dead Redemption 2.
Duration: 85 mins approx

“Terrific. Mellamphy is a dynamic presence, shifting easily among male and female roles and a variety of accents, while showing off some damn impressive cocktail-mixing moves” – The New Yorker
“It’s quite a feat to hold an audience’s attention for a full 85 minutes, and Mellamphy manages it with impressive physicality, dexterity, and magnetism…Rarely has a man’s moral decline been made so purely entertaining to watch” – Theatermania
“While it’s an awful lot of fun watching Finnegan’s moral decline, this one-man tour de force has a serious underlying social commentary” – MV Times

‘The Smuggler’ is part of our Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performances, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

Padraig Potts
2025-07-23 - 2025-07-26
Wednesday 23rd – Saturday 26th July

Wednesday to Saturday @ 8pm, plus a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Padraig Potts

Written and performed by Seamus O’Rourke

This coming-of-age play, set in rural Ireland, just might break your heart – It might also bring you back to a time and place full of innocence and longing. Doused with the colour and humour we have come to expect from Seamus O’Rourke – this time he is joined on stage by a chorus of characters that have enchanted his past. Padraig Potts manfully wades through the indecisions of his youth as we discover that we should always follow our hearts and our dreams! This is a relentless tale of love and failure and fatigue… and then just in time… at the end – love again. A seamless tapestry of what made us squirm in the 70’s and 80’s.

Padraig Potts is part of our Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performances, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

Photo of Seamus O’Rourke by Donnie Phair

The Silver Case
2025-07-30 - 2025-08-02
Wednesday 30th July – Saturday 2nd August

Wednesday to Saturday @ 8pm, plus a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Bamm Productions presents

The Silver Case

by Brendan Griffin

A heartful story unfolds through a seamless blend of narration and music that will both captivate and deeply move an audience.
The Silver Case written by Brendan Griffin and performed by Lewis Barfoot and Alice Barry is a powerful theatrical experience about hope and tragedy.
Set in a warzone it tells the story of a young girl who lies gravely injured, too weak to be evacuated before an impending bombing.
An aid worker stays by her side offering comfort and love.
As their bond deepens in the face of imminent danger, The Silver Case explores how music offers healing in the most desperate of circumstances.
Written by Brendan Griffin
Cast: Lewis Barfoot and Alice Barry
Original Music by Lewis Barfoot
With direction from Hanan Sheedy
Set and Light design by Steve Neale
Set artist: John McHarg
Duration: 55 minutes approx.
Fundraiser Note!
Opening night, Wednesday July 30th, is a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders / MSF, Gaza Appeal. The company will be donating their box office revenue from this performance.

‘The Silver Case’ is part of our Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performances, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

Must I Cry
2025-08-06 - 2025-08-09
Wednesday 6th, Friday 8th, Saturday 9th August @ 8pm,
plus a 1pm show on Thursday 7th August
Theatre du Pif (Hong Kong) presents

Must I Cry

How do you lift a loss?
…a journey into weighing a rhino
Follow a woman’s magical journey in time as she returns home to search for traces of her late father—transforming a childhood game into a heartrending final quest to remember.
Inspired by the works of celebrated Hong Kong author XiXi and the story of the last northern white rhinoceros, Must I Cry weaves storytelling, live music, and video projections to create a dynamic fusion of poetry and surprises as one enters the memory palace of personal history in an ever-changing city.
Must I Cry delves into the magic of recollection, unveiling a past that breathes in the present.
“Here I am, searching in a foreign place, for someone I no longer remember.”
Director/ Performer: Bonni Chan
Text/ Video: Pun Tsz-Wai
Literary Advisor: Liam Hurley
Musician: Lau Chi-Bun
Stage: Sylvia Chan
Costume: Cheng Man-Wing
Lighting: Lau Ming-Hang
★★★★★ North West End UK
“poetry in motion”
★★★★ ThreeWeeks Edinburgh
“subtle yet profound”
★★★★ Edinburgh Festival Magazine
“the most impressive multimedia experience… an underrated masterpiece”

‘Must I Cry’ is part of our Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including some 1pm shows
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performance, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

The Good Crank
2025-08-13 - 2025-08-16
Wednesday 13th – Saturday 16th August

Wednesday to Saturday @ 8pm, plus a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Sight Nor Sound Theatre presents

The Good Crank

by Alan McMonagle

Kitty Clog is an aging woman who is determined not to go quietly into that good night. With lots of attitude, a motley crew of supporting characters (all played by star of Father Ted and Fair City, Rose Henderson) Kitty takes us with her on a rollercoaster journey to find her lost man.
Treading a blurry line between humour and pathos; yearning and farce; belonging and marginalisation, The Good Crank is an exploration of the flip-flop existence of an older woman at odds with the world she has been squeezed into.
Written by: Alan McMonagle
Directed by: Gorretti Slavin
Presented By: Sight Nor Sound Theatre
‘The Good Crank’ is part of our Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performances, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS

Still Life
2025-08-20 - 2025-08-23
Wednesday 20th – Saturday 23rd August

Wednesday to Saturday @ 8pm, plus a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Lighthouse Theatre (Wales) presents

Still Life

by Noel Coward

…the play that became the classic film ‘Brief Encounter’
Lighthouse Theatre, a professional Welsh touring company with Cork connections, brings its trade-mark style to this classic piece about a chance meeting at a railway station tea shop by the Old Master, Noel Coward.
Still Life, is the one act play which became the classic black and white 1940s film Brief Encounter. While the central focus is on the poignant romance, the light-hearted comic relief from Myrtle and the station master provides a delightful balance to the otherwise wistful tone of the play. It tells the story of Alec and Laura – a pleasant, upstanding middle-aged couple both happily married, but facing the turmoil of a doomed love affair. Set entirely within a railway tea room, Lighthouse Theatre’s inventive adaptation features three multiple role-playing actors as the contrasting couples and supporting characters, accompanied by the unforgettable strains of Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto.
The show began life as a co-production with North Country Theatre, touring the tea rooms and ticket halls of the Carlisle To Settle steam railway line. From there it has visited venues throughout Yorkshire and Wales, and as far afield as Uruguay and Argentina.
Still Life is a self-contained piece that lasts about 50 minutes without an interval.
Starring:
Sonia Beck – Myrtle and Laura
Adrian Metcalf – Alec and Albert
Karla Goodman – Beryl and Dolly
Directed by Karla Goodman
★★★★★ ‘Lighthouse Theatre has filled the dramatic tank’ – West Cork People
★★★★★ ‘Simply lovely stuff’ – The South Wales Evening Post
★★★★★ ‘Fantastic performance… amazing talent’
https://corkartstheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/StillLife-Promo-2.mp4

Presented with the assistance of the Wales Arts International Fund

‘Still Life’ is part of the Cork Arts Theatre Summer Season. Running throughout July and August, each show in the season will run from Wednesday – Saturday, including a 1pm show on Thursday and Friday.
Ticket Prices:
For the lunchtime performances, patrons can choose either a Show & Lunch ticket for €20*, which includes a sandwich & tea/coffee, served from 12 noon until ten minutes before the performance time, or a Show Only ticket for €15*.
Tickets for the 8pm shows are €18*.

*Booking fees apply.
BOOK TICKETS
