UlsterBankDublinTheatreFestival

Sept 24 - Oct 11 2009

Chairman Peter Crowley Council Bobbie Bergin Michael Colgan Declan Collier Michael Collins Caroline Downey Garry Hynes Gabriel J. Moloney Gavin Quinn Gaby Smyth Artistic Director and Chief Executive Loughlin Deegan Director of Programme and Production Stephen McManus General Manager Tríona Ní Dhuibhir Marketing Manager Shauna Lyons Development Manager Gemma Duke Administrative / Research Coordinator Jessica Hilliard Box Office Manager Deirdre McClean Family Season Curators Muireann Ahern (for The Ark) / Ross Keane Special Thanks 2009 volunteers and interns Adam Crane Gate Theatre Joanna Gorczak at Vizeum The Hive Hudson Killeen Project Arts Centre Directors’ Circle Michael & Jane Collins Peter Crowley & Clodagh O’Brien Gay & Irene Moloney Vincent O’Doherty Andrew & Delyth Parkes Darren Roddy Danielle Ryan Producers’ Club Aisling Daly Mark Lawler Anthony Mourek & Dr Karole Schafer John & Sinead Reynolds Peter Thomas Friends’ Council Gabrielle Croke – Chair Dearbhail Shannon – Deputy Chair Dympna Murray – Secretary Lilian Chambers Peg Colgan Vincent O’Doherty Andrew Parkes Mary Stephenson Sari Winckworth Gala Nights Every year a group of corporate and individual patrons support the Festival through their attendance at our Gala Nights. For more information contact marketing@dublintheatrefestival.com. Volunteers Every year the Festival is immensely grateful to its team of dedicated volunteers. In return for volunteer participation we aim to provide an involved and interesting experience. Volunteers are required from September and primarily for the duration of the Festival, Sept 24 – Oct 11. For more information and an application form please contact the office on 01 677 8439, look up the website www.dublintheatrefestival.com or email volunteer@dublintheatrefestival.com.

Grant aided by Official Wine Supplier Title Sponsor Principal Sponsors Official Media Partner Official Accommodation Provider

O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College 06THE BLUE DRAGON Gaiety Theatre 08THREE SISTERS Gaiety Theatre 10THE PITMEN PAINTERS O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College 12TO BE STRAIGHT WITH YOU Abbey Theatre 14TALES OF BALLYCUMBER Pavilion Theatre 24THE AGE I’M IN Project Arts Centre 20FREEFALL Samuel Beckett Theatre 22RADIO MUEZZIN Samuel Beckett Theatre 16KAMP Project Arts Centre 26THE CRUMB TRAIL Samuel Beckett Theatre 28CET ENFANT Peacock Theatre 30THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM Gaiety Theatre 04THE MANGANIYAR SEDUCTION18THE BIRDS Gate Theatre CONTENTS

Project Arts Centre 32ONCE AND FOR ALL WE’RE GONNA TELL YOU WHO WE ARE SO SHUT UP AND LISTEN Liberty Hall Liberty Hall 34PLAYHOUSE Draíocht, Pavilion Theatre, Civic Theatre 36THE DEAD SCHOOL Ionad an Phiarsaigh 38BUCK JONES AND THE BODY SNATCHERS Project Arts Centre 39SILVER STARS The Empty Space 40SLAT Newman House 42NO WORST THERE IS NONE The Ark 46GOODBYE MR. MUFFIN The Ark 44HANSEL AND GRETEL 48SPECIAL EVENTS 54BOOKING AND INFORMATION 41A WOMAN IN PROGRESS Project Arts Centre The Ark/Mystery Venue 45HANS CHRISTIAN, YOU MUST BE AN ANGEL The Ark 47SONGS FROM ABOVE

Can & Abel THE MANGANIYAR SEDUCTION “Picks up momentum with every cycle of speed until euphoria sets in” The Hindu

Venue Gaiety Theatre Dates Sept 24 - 27 Matinée Sept 26 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 3pm Sunday 3pm Prices €18 - €38 Duration 1hr 20mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 India 05 Direct from the deserts of Rajasthan, the Festival is delighted to welcome the most colourful, joyous and inspiring show likely to be seen this year. Staged by the acclaimed Indian director Roysten Abel, to spectacular effect, over 40 Indian musicians and singers from three generations, present a highly theatrical evening of traditional Indian gypsy music. The Manganiyars, a community of travelling Muslim musicians, traditionally sang before the kings of Rajasthan; and in this unique show, they weave together their deeply rooted and complex history in a rousing array of choreography, song and rhythm, building to a breathtaking climactic finale. The Manganiyar Seduction was originally created for the opening of the 2006 Delhi Film Festival and has since been taking the world by storm. Don’t miss this chance to see a unique production from one of the world’s most intriguing cultures in this magical and life-affirming show. It will blow you away because you’ll never have experienced anything quite like The Manganiyar Seduction before, and you may never see anything like it again. Talking Theatre Roysten Abel and members of the company. Sept 25, Post-show 9pm. Directed by Roysten Abel Proudly supported by

Venue O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College Dates Oct 7 - 11 Matinée Oct 10 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 2.30pm Sunday 3pm Prices €25 - €35 Duration 2hrs [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Performers Marie Michaud, Henri Chassé and Tai Wei Foo. After taking Dublin by storm with the hit of the 2003 Festival the far side of the moon, one of the true visionaries of modern theatre, Québecois director, actor and storyteller Robert Lepage, returns to the Festival with this emotionally vivid and visually enthralling journey. The Blue Dragon is the sequel to Lepage’s 1985 breakthrough masterpiece The Dragons’ Trilogy, and marks the return of that play’s central figure, an artist who resurfaces in Shanghai twenty years later. Set in the effervescent paradox that is modern China, his encounters with a former art school classmate and a young Chinese artist, open unexpected doors and bring about fundamental changes for each of them. Co-written by Robert Lepage, winner of the 2007 Europe Theatre Prize, and his collaborator Marie Michaud, The Blue Dragon bears all the hallmarks of his original, brilliant, and highly visual style. Presented in association with Cultural Industry. Performed in English. It will blow you away because Lepage’s latest production is another extraordinary work of hi-tech wizardry and storytelling magic. Talking Theatre In conversation with Henri Chassé and Marie Michaud. Oct 8, Post-show 9.30pm [approx]. Robert Lepage and Ex Machina Directed by Robert Lepage By Marie Michaud and Robert Lepage English Translation by Michael MacKenzie Proudly supported by THE BLUE DRAGON

Canada 07 © Érick Labbé “Robert Lepage is one of the most challenging and chimeric directors of our time” The Guardian

Venue Gaiety Theatre Dates Sept 29 - Oct 4 Matinée Oct 3 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 2.30pm Sunday 2.30pm Prices €20 - €40 Duration 3hrs [incl. interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Hailed as one of the greatest theatre companies in the world, Cheek By Jowl, with the Chekhov International Theatre Festival, return to Dublin after the 2004 Festival smash-hit Twelfth Night. Featuring many of Russia’s leading stage and screen actors, this definitive Three Sisters is a sublime, achingly humane interpretation of one of Chekhov’s finest plays. Arguably the greatest play of the 20th century, Three Sisters is an epic family saga of three sisters living in a small provincial town, who dream of a better life in Moscow. While dealing with the death of their father and the frustrations and dissatisfactions of the present, the arrival of the debonair officer Vershinin turns their world upside down and reminds them that happiness is possible. The Festival is delighted to welcome back this stellar Russian ensemble with Chekhov’s sweeping love story. Under the powerful direction of Declan Donnellan, this celebrated masterpiece unforgettably bursts out into entirely new dimensions. Performed in Russian with English surtitles. It will blow you away because of the majesty of the acting, the simplicity of the staging and the sheer force of the play presented in Chekhov’s own language. Talking Theatre Garry Hynes in conversation with Declan Donnellan. Sept 30, Pre-show 6pm. Proudly supported by Chekhov International Theatre Festival and Cheek By Jowl By Anton Chekhov Directed by Declan Donnellan THREE SISTERS

Russia/ UK 09 “I cannot imagine a more delicate, luminous and emotionally piercing production... Heartbreaking simplicity” The Times

Venue Gaiety Theatre Dates Oct 6 - 10 Matinées Oct 8 & 10 Times 7.30pm. Matinées 2.30pm Prices €15 - €40 Duration 2hrs 40mins [incl. interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Director Max Roberts Designer Gary McCann Lighting Designer Douglas Kuhrt Sound Designer Martin Hodgson Following their recent Festival successes - including The Year of Magical Thinking [2008] and The History Boys [2007] - London’s National Theatre returns to Dublin with a new critically acclaimed smash-hit written by Tony and Olivier Award-winner Lee Hall [Billy Elliot]. In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hired a professor to teach an art appreciation evening class. Rapidly abandoning theory in favour of practice, the pitmen began to paint. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends and their work was acquired by prestigious collections; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine. Winner of the Evening Standard Best New Play award, this humorous, deeply moving true story takes a timely look at art, class and politics, demonstrating how a seemingly ordinary group of men can do extraordinary things. Contains nudity. The matinée performance on Oct 10 at 2.30pm will be both captioned and audio-described. See Page 54. It will blow you away because The Pitmen Painters is that rare thing: a hugely entertaining play that manages to be a great night out whilst simultaneously asking some very important questions. Talking Theatre Roddy Doyle in conversation with Lee Hall. Oct 7, Post-show 10.15pm [approx]. National Theatre [UK] and Live Theatre Newcastle By Lee Hall Inspired by the book by William Feaver THE PITMEN PAINTERS Proudly supported by

UK 11 “A wonderful piece of theatre: comic, sad and stirring in the same breath” Financial Times© Keith Pattison

Venue O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College Dates Sept 30 - Oct 3 Matinée Oct 3 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 2.30pm Prices €25 - €35 Duration 1hr 20mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Headlining a season of physical theatre at the heart of this year’s programme, the groundbreaking DV8, one of the world’s leading companies makes a long overdue return to Dublin with the provocative, exhilarating and courageous To Be Straight With You. Featuring an exceptionally strong multi-ethnic cast, this poetic but unflinching exploration of tolerance, intolerance, religion and sexuality, incorporates dance, text, documentary, film and animated projections to create a unique and startling piece of theatre. Based on 85 interviews with the many people who cannot express their views openly for fear of social or physical reprisal, this hard-hitting and exciting visionary work demonstrates how twenty years on, DV8 still refuses to be defined. Led by the renowned director/choreographer Lloyd Newson, DV8 Physical Theatre - winner of sixteen awards over the last four years including the Grand Prix Danse Critics Award - returns to Dublin following a hugely successful international tour and 3 week sell-out run at the National Theatre in London. A co-production by Berliner Festspiele; National Theatre, London; Maison des Arts de Creteil; and Festival d’Automne, Paris. Contains strong language, nudity and adult content. It will blow you away because in true DV8 style, To Be Straight With You is both astonishingly theatrical and piercingly intelligent in its exploration of homophobia and religious intolerance throughout the world. Talking Theatre In conversation with Lloyd Newson. Oct 2, Pre-show 6pm. Panel Discussion To Be Really Straight With You: Religion and Sexuality. O’Reilly Theatre. Oct 3, 4.30pm - 6pm. See Special Events Pages 48 - 53. Enough Talk A season of international physical theatre DV8 Physical Theatre A Work Conceived and Directed by Lloyd Newson TO BE STRAIGHT WITH YOU Proudly supported by

UK 13 © Matt Nettheim “ you will not be able to resist this brave, life-affirming show” The Guardian

Abbey Theatre TALES OF BALLYCUMBER

Venue Abbey Theatre Opens Oct 7 Previews Sept 30 - Oct 6 Matinées Oct 3 & 10 Times 7.30pm. Matinées 2pm Prices €18 - €38 Duration 1hr 30mins [approx] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Ireland 15 Cast includes Stephen Rea and Derbhle Crotty. “Here, now, listen, I’ll tell you a tale...” Daffodils are in bloom as dawn breaks over the foothills of Ballycumber, ushering in hope for a new day and stirring the ghosts of a past fraught with sorrow, anguish and emptiness. Setting out in search of advice on a budding love interest, young Evans Stafford calls to the home of a friend and strong-minded traditionalist, Nicholas Farquhar. The following morning the local boy is found bloodied, note in hand. What is said during their brief encounter to fracture innocence and compel him to this violent act? As Farquhar struggles to come to terms with his actions and their devastating consequences, he discovers that his memories and words are governed by a force greater than himself - a buried history that propels both men towards a desperate and inevitable climax. This world première from twice Booker-nominated and winner of the 2008 Costa Book of the Year award Sebastian Barry, is a startling and intimate portrayal of two unlikely companions united beyond their own comprehension, both haunted by the plague of solitude and the Tales of Ballycumber. Tales of Ballycumber is an Abbey Theatre commission. It will blow you away because Sebastian Barry is one of Ireland’s finest writers whose last play The Pride of Parnell Street was an undoubted highlight of the 2007 Festival. Talking Theatre In conversation with Sebastian Barry. Oct 1, Pre-show 6pm. Price €3. By Sebastian Barry Directed by David Leveaux

Venue Samuel Beckett Theatre Dates Sept 29 - Oct 4 Matinée Oct 3 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 3pm Sunday 3pm Prices €22 - €33 Duration 1hr [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Cast Herman Helle, Pauline Kalker and Arlène Hoornweg. Sound Designers Ruud van der Pluijm with thanks to Marcel Lugtenborg. Technicians Saskia de Vries and Joris van Oosterhout. Set/Puppet Makers’ Assistants Cathrin Boer, Heleen Wiemer, Kirsten Hutschemakers, Stefan Gross, Dirk Vroemen, Annette Scheer, Marije de Wit, Florus Groenewegen, Wilco Kwerreveld and Brigid Noone. An enormous model of Auschwitz takes up the whole stage with crowded huts, a railway line, and a gate with the slogan “Arbeit Macht Frei”. The model of the camp comes to life with thousands of 8cm high hand-made puppets, representing the prisoners and their executioners. The actors, like colossal war correspondents, weave through the scene with hand-held cameras. They film the atrocities. The audience becomes witness. Not a word is spoken, the audience only experiences the sights and sounds, which transcend the powerlessness of the figures into much more than a mere reporting of events. Hotel Modern’s shows combine animation, puppetry, visual arts and music to astounding effect. In KAMP, they try to imagine the unimaginable, the biggest genocide in history, committed in a specially constructed town. Proudly supported by Royal Netherlands Embassy, Dublin. Contains images of an adult nature. It will blow you away as this uniquely moving and fascinating show manages to re-enact one of the world’s most horrific atrocities with a restrained but arresting dignity. Talking Theatre Members of the company. Sept 30, Post-show 9pm [approx]. Hotel Modern KAMP

Netherlands 17 “The manner in which puppetry and film balance each other is both subtle and ingenious” Trouw

Venue Gate Theatre Opens Sept 29 Previews Sept 24 - 28 Matinées Oct 3 & 10 Times 8pm. Matinées 3pm Prices €27 - €35 Duration 2hrs [incl. interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Designer Rae Smith Lighting Designer Paul Keogan Cast Sinéad Cusack, Denise Gough and Ciarán Hinds. From the celebrated author of such masterworks as Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel, comes Daphne Du Maurier’s enthralling gothic tale of mystery and suspense. Immortalised by Alfred Hitchcock in his legendary film and now re-imagined in a chilling new adaptation by acclaimed Irish playwright Conor McPherson, The Birds is an unrelenting and spellbinding portrait of terror and alienation. The Gate has a long and close relationship with the award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director, Conor McPherson, premièring many of his works both at home and abroad, many of which the author also directed. These productions include The Weir, Dublin Carol, Come On Over, Port Authority and Shining City. The world première of The Birds will be the fourth play by McPherson to be presented by the Gate in the Festival. It will blow you away because a Gate presentation of a new work by Conor McPherson, with some of the finest actors Ireland has ever produced, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the theatrical year. Gate Theatre Written and Directed by Conor McPherson Adapted from the short story by Daphne Du Maurier THE BIRDS

Ireland 19

The Corn Exchange FREEFALL “The Corn Exchange has produced some of the most innovative pieces of Irish theatre in recent years” The Sunday Times© Richard Gilligan

Venue Project Space Upstairs Dates Oct 7 - 11 Preview Oct 6 Matinée Oct 10 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 1pm Sunday 1pm Prices €22 - €33 Duration 2hrs [approx] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Ireland 21 Set Designer Kris Stone Lighting Designer Matt Frey Sound and Music Conor Linehan Costume Designer Debbie Millington Producer Sarah Durcan Cast includes Andrew Bennett, Damian Kearney, Ruth McGill, Louis Lovett and Janet Moran. When the ground disappears from beneath your feet, some feel the thrill - some the fear - of the fall. A stroke. A man’s life flashes before his eyes - the glamour of 1970s Cork, a debauched honeymoon in Greece, bliss in bloated grey suburbia. As the very idea of identity is washed away, he experiences an intense rush of images and memories, revelations and lost connections. The stories by which he’s lived no longer fit. Can he stitch them back together before the lights go out? Following their last original piece - and hit of the 2006 Festival - Everyday, the team behind Dublin By Lamplight explores the outrage and euphoria that accompany change. A savage, humorous and tender look at the fragility of a human life, this production will be the most daring work The Corn Exchange has created to date. It will blow you away because The Corn Exchange is one of the most original voices in Irish theatre and this illusory new play deals directly with issues of relevance to our lives and our times. Talking Theatre In conversation with Annie Ryan and Michael West. Oct 9, Pre-show 6pm. By Michael West In collaboration with the company Directed by Annie Ryan

HAU Berlin and Goethe-Institut Egypt RADIO MUEZZIN “a revolutionary theatre company” The Irish Times

Venue Samuel Beckett Theatre Dates Oct 6 - 11 Matinée Oct 10 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 3pm Sunday 3pm Prices €22 - €33 Duration 1hr 20mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Germany/Egypt 23 Every evening the voices of thousands of Muezzins permeate the sky of Cairo, the city of a thousand mosques, leading the call to prayer. It is the sound that defines the city, the people and one of the world’s greatest religions. Multi-award winning Rimini Protokoll, the ground-breaking German company who introduced the world to the phenomenon of Documentary Theatre - whereby real people tell real stories in their own words - now place four of Cairo’s Muezzins centre stage, as they challenge the Government’s decision to centralise the call to prayer, showing the devastating effect it will have for tens of thousands of lives. Featuring hauntingly beautiful music and evocative video images, Radio Muezzin provides a brief but profound insight into a culture increasingly under threat from the relentless march of modernisation and technology. Providing moving insights into the lives of four men, and poetic evocations of the glory of Islam, Radio Muezzin is a quiet and poetic homage to a way of life that is about to change forever. Performed in Arabic with English surtitles. It will blow you away because Stefan Kaegi and Rimini Protokoll, making their Festival debut with this quietly profound gem of a production, are rightly regarded as one of the most exciting forces in contemporary international theatre. Talking Theatre Members of the company. Oct 7, Post-show 9pm [approx]. Panel Discussion Real Lives, Real Voices. Samuel Beckett Theatre. Oct 10, 4.30pm [approx]. See Special Events Pages 48 - 53. Proudly supported by Concept & Direction Stefan Kaegi [Rimini Protokoll] Real Lives, Real Voices A season of documentary theatre

Force Majeure THE AGE I’M IN © Heidrun Lohr “...funny, uplifting and filled with beauty, constructed of simple and innocent moments of truth, hope and pure emotion” The Daily Telegraph

Australia 25 It’s not how old you are, but how you are old. Force Majeure’s The Age I’m In is a poignant, witty and revealing portrait of how we inhabit the age we’re in throughout our lives. Woven together and brought to life by the company’s distinctive dance-theatre language, a diverse selection of Australians aged between fourteen and eighty offer astonishingly personal responses to a range of emotive issues, creating an intimate and warm-hearted snapshot of the ageing process. Under acclaimed director Kate Champion, this remarkable performance which won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Company at the 2009 Australian Dance Awards, skilfully combines audio visual technology, real-life interviews and a distinctive physical language. It takes a fresh and humorous look at generational clichés, family interactions and the complexity of human relationships. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body; the Australia International Cultural Council, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Arts NSW; and The Keir Foundation. It will blow you away because this show deals with a very human issue, and examines it in a highly sophisticated theatrical manner that is utterly charming in its life-affirming simplicity. Talking Theatre Members of the company. Oct 6, Post-show 9pm [approx]. Venue Pavilion Theatre Dates Oct 6 - 10 Matinée Oct 10 Times 8pm. Matinée 3pm Prices €20 - €30 Duration 1hr [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Directed by Kate Champion Enough Talk A season of international physical theatre

Venue Project Space Upstairs Dates Sept 29 - Oct 4 Matinée Oct 3 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 1pm Sunday 1pm Prices €22 - €33 Duration 1hr 15mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Designer Aedín Cosgrove Music Gordon is a Mime Cast Aoife Duffin, Bush Moukarzel, Gina Moxley and Arthur Riordan. The death of the fairy tale. Can we live in a world without fairy tales? A stark illumination of the cherished fable Hansel and Gretel, Gina Moxley’s The Crumb Trail explores the isolation that comes from groping for survival in a dark world of technology and greed. Featuring a full suite of the media intrusions that now saturate our daily lives - including live video feed, YouTube clips and internet sex rooms - Pan Pan’s savvy but scared kids are getting lost in a very contemporary forest from which it might not be so easy to return. No crime has taken place - or has it? Maybe we haven’t noticed or simply don’t care. One of Ireland’s most exciting and provocative theatre companies, re-imagines the most chilling of The Brothers Grimm tales. Contains scenes of an adult nature. It will blow you away because the long-anticipated Irish première of the latest work from the determinably international Pan Pan may well be the talk of the Festival following successful runs in Berlin, Düsseldorf and New York. Talking Theatre In conversation with Gavin Quinn. Oct 1, Pre-show 6.30pm. Pan Pan Text by Gina Moxley Directed by Gavin Quinn THE CRUMB TRAIL

Ireland 27 “More than any other theater troupe I can think of, Pan Pan finds the soul-muddling angst in the internet age” The New York Times

Venue Samuel Beckett Theatre Dates Sept 24 - 27 Times 7.30pm. Sunday 5pm Prices €28 - €33 Duration 1hr 10mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 One of the most talked-about plays in France in recent years, this profoundly moving show explores the emotional ties - from the noblest to the most shameful - that bind parents and their children together. Inspired by real interviews, 11 touching vignettes reveal the depth and complexity of our relationship with those who are supposed to know and love us best. Staged with a restrained simplicity with original music performed live onstage; this elegant production focuses all of the attention on the truly remarkable talents of a great company of actors. Working together for many years this outstanding ensemble has developed a unique repertoire of plays written and directed by Joël Pommerat, winner of the French Critics’ Prize and one of the most significant artists to emerge from France in recent years. Cet Enfant is a co-production with L’Espace Malraux-Scène nationale de Chambéry et de la Savoie; Théâtre Brétigny-Scène conventionnée du Val d’Orge; la Ferme de Bel Ebat du Guyancourt; Théâtre de la Coupe d’Or - Scène conventionnée de Rochefort; and Théâtre Paris-Villette. Performed in French with English surtitles. It will blow you away because of the integrity of the vision, the sincerity with which it is delivered, and the sheer force of the talent onstage. Talking Theatre Members of the company. Sept 26, Post-show 8.45pm [approx]. Compagnie Louis Brouillard Written and Directed by Joël Pommerat CET ENFANT Proudly supported by

France 29 “bears tough scrutiny, consistently demanding admiration as it reveals the touching vulnerability of ordinary human beings. Bravo!” The Montréal Gazette © Elizabeth Carecchio

Druid THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM “Walsh confirms himself as one of the most dazzling wordsmiths of contemporary theatre” The Guardian

Venue Peacock Theatre Opens Sept 24 Preview Sept 23 Matinées Sept 26, Oct 3 & 10 Times 8pm. Matinées 2.30pm Prices €18 - €25 Duration 1hr 15mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Ireland 31 The Abbey Theatre presents the Druid production of this multi-award winning play by Enda Walsh. Funny, tender-hearted and at times pitch dark, The New Electric Ballroom is a coiled, dark, glitter-dusted fable of the emotionally stultifying effects of small-town life. Ada, Breda and Clara are three sisters living in a remote fishing village, trapped in the years that have passed since their halcyon days at the New Electric Ballroom. Here possibilities are endless, hopes are high and opening your heart might be the one thing that saves you. Winner of the Edinburgh Fringe First Award, and Irish Times Theatre Awards for Best New Play and Best Supporting Actor [Mikel Murfi]; this winning combination of great writing and powerful acting is simply too good to miss. It will blow you away because Enda Walsh is one of the world’s most original voices in contemporary theatre. Talking Theatre In conversation with Enda Walsh. Sept 25, Pre-show 6pm. Price €3. Written and Directed by Enda Walsh

Ontroerend Goed, Kopergietery and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd ONCE AND FOR ALL WE’RE GONNA TELL YOU WHO WE ARE SO SHUT UP AND LISTEN “Possibly the most life-affirming, crazy, mixed up show you’re likely to witness this or any year” The Herald© Phile Deprez

Venue Project Space Upstairs Dates Sept 26 & 27 Matinée Sept 26 Times 7.30pm. Matinée 3pm Sunday 1pm Prices €22 - €33 Duration 55mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Belgium 33 “It’s all been done before - but not by me”. Performed by 13 Flemish teenagers ranging in age from 14 to 18, the smash-hit of the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe blazes an international trail to Dublin. Once and for all... is a writhing force of pure animal magnetism, a sweaty adrenaline rush that captures the restless energy of being a teenager and all the illogical, reckless abandon of being poised permanently and precipitously on the brink of adulthood. This riotous, chaotic and indefinable show will make you feel old. But it will also make you feel young again. It will make you sit up and remember that moment when you ceased being a child. And, most remarkably of all, it might even make you miss being a teenager. Winner of countless awards including a Fringe First, Herald Angel and Total Theatre Award, these hormone fuelled Belgians have taken festivals by storm across the world garnering a raft of 5 star reviews wherever they have played. Not suitable for children. Performed in English. It will blow you away because these energy-giving fearless Belgian teenagers will quite simply knock you off your feet! Talking Theatre Members of the company. Sept 26, Post-show 4pm [approx]. Panel Discussion Real Lives, Real Voices. Samuel Beckett Theatre. Oct 10, 4.30pm [approx]. See Special Events Pages 48 - 53. Directed by Alexander Devriendt Real Lives, Real Voices A season of documentary theatre

PLAYHOUSE

Venue Liberty Hall Dates Sept 24 - Oct 11 Times Dusk ‘till Dawn Price Free Info www.daft.ie/playhouse Ireland 35 Each night during the Festival, the city skyline will come alive with a major interactive light installation that will illuminate the iconic Liberty Hall building. From dusk to dawn Playhouse will pulsate with vibrant and dynamic animations created by some of the Festival’s leading artists and you, the general public, on a specially designed online interface. Get involved or just enjoy the spectacle as the city is transformed in an array of colour and animation. Keep in touch via an online live video stream, with real time viewing, and archived displays that will be sure to stimulate your creative side. If you’re a budding designer, a computer genius or you simply want to have some fun, don’t miss this amazing opportunity to re-imagine Ireland’s most famous skyscraper in SIPTU’s Centenary year. Join in and leave your mark on the city this Festival season! In association with SIPTU. Log onto www.daft.ie/playhouse for more information. It will blow you away because Playhouse lets you light up the city and give the Festival even more colour! Panel Discussion Playing with the House. Science Gallery. Sept 25, 6pm. See Special Events Pages 48 - 53. Dreambox in partnership with Daft.ie and Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival present Proudly supported by

Nomad Theatre Network in association with Livin’ Dred Theatre Company THE “An extraordinary cast and a wonderful blinding ensemble” The View DEAD SCHOOL © Brian Farrell

Ireland 37 Director Padraic McIntyre Cast Sean Campion, Carrie Crowley, Peter Daly, Eamon Owens and Gemma Reeves. In a new departure, this acclaimed adaptation of Pat McCabe’s much read novel will tour to three suburban theatres during this year’s Festival. Nominated in three categories of the 2008 Irish Times Theatre Awards including Best Production; The Dead School is a titanic clash between the forces of modernism and tradition in 1970s Ireland. Raphael Bell, an old style national school teacher, whose life is haunted by images and memories from his past, has devoted his life to upholding all that is traditional, pure and wholesome in the Ireland of Eucharistic Congresses. On the other side stands Malachy Dugeon, a first-year teacher and one of the new breed about town, where rock music and American movies are king and rules are made to be broken. When these two men come together, chaos is only round the corner. It will blow you away because The Dead School is a seamlessly choreographed production from an exciting new director coaxing stunning performances from some of Ireland’s finest actors. Talking Theatre Members of the company. Pavilion Theatre. Sept 30, Post-show 10.30pm [approx]. By Pat McCabe Festival on Tour Theatre where you live ReViewed A showcase of successful Irish productions restaged in partnership with Culture Ireland and Irish Theatre Institute Venue Draíocht Dates Sept 24 - 26 Preview Sept 23 Times 8pm Prices €18 - €22 Duration 2hrs 25mins [incl. interval] Venue Pavilion Theatre Dates Sept 29 - Oct 3 Matinée Oct 3 Times 8pm. Matinée 3pm Prices €19 - €23 Duration 2hrs 25mins [incl. interval] Venue Civic Theatre Dates Oct 6 - 10 Times 8pm Prices €22 Duration 2hrs 25mins [incl. interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62

Venue Ionad an Phiarsaigh 27 Pearse St. Dublin 2 Dates Sept 24 - Oct 11 Preview Sept 23 Matinées Sept 26, Oct 3 & 10 Times 7.30pm. Matinées 3pm [Oct 3, Matinée 12pm] Sundays 6.30pm Prices €18 - €25 Duration 2hrs 10mins [incl. interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Director and Producer Joan Sheehy Go back in time to Dublin 1798, where body snatchers roam the night and historic fact and fiction collide, in this hugely entertaining journey through the grand houses, sordid streets, taverns and graveyards of the city. The success of Buck Jones and the Body Snatchers took everybody by surprise when it opened in Limerick last year. Nominated for Best Production in the 2008 Irish Times Theatre Awards, this intimate theatrical romp is a promenade piece with the audience following the action through the drawing rooms, the garden, the tavern and ultimately to the crypt of the Georgian house, Ionad an Phiarsaigh. A theatrical tour-de-force where love, passion and revenge are all served up in a rich comic stew. It will blow you away as you experience up close this hilarious costume drama, which captured the imagination of audiences and critics alike during its sell-out success last year. Talking Theatre Members of the company. Sept 27, Post-show 8.45pm [approx]. “This little gem of a show really should not be missed” Irish Independent By Ken Bourke BUCK JONES AND THE BODY SNATCHERS Ireland Off Stage A series of performances in unusual locations ReViewed A showcase of successful Irish productions restaged in partnership with Culture Ireland and Irish Theatre Institute

Featuring a community chorus of old and not-so-old gay men, Silver Stars is a moving and eloquent song-cycle which tells the truly remarkable real-life stories of ordinary men in search of happiness and fulfilment, in a country that was challenged by their very existence. Based on celebrated singer/songwriter Seán Millar’s interviews with gay men from Dublin to New York, these songs capture tales of love, loss, family, spirituality, defiance and joy. Staged by the undisputed rising-stars of Irish theatre, Brokentalkers - who were nominated for a 2008 Irish Times Theatre Award for their innovative work - this extraordinary show was first performed for four sold-out nights as part of the 2008 Bealtaine Festival. Brokentalkers are Associate Artists of Project Arts Centre. It will blow you away because Silver Stars is quietly devastating in its depiction of how much Ireland has changed in the past 20 years and genuinely uplifting in its celebration of the many people who affected that change. Panel Discussion Real Lives, Real Voices. Samuel Beckett Theatre. Oct 10, 4.30pm [approx]. See Special Events Pages 48 - 53. “Irish theatre may still be somewhat in the thrall of its literary past, but I suspect that Brokentalkers are gradually gathering support for the here and now” The Irish Times Venue Project Cube Dates Sept 29 - Oct 4 Preview Sept 28 Times 10pm. Preview 7.30pm Saturday 6pm & 10pm Sunday 3pm & 6pm Prices €18 - €25 Duration 1hr [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Brokentalkers in association with Abbey Theatre By Seán Millar SILVER STARS Real Lives, Real Voices A season of Documentary Theatre ReViewed A showcase of successful Irish productions restaged in partnership with Culture Ireland and Irish Theatre Institute Late Night Season A series of late night performances in Project Arts Centre Ireland 39

Venue The Empty Space Dates Sept 28 - Oct 4 Preview Sept 27 Times 9pm. Preview 3pm Sunday Oct 4, 5pm Prices €18 - €25 Duration 1hr [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 A unique collaboration between some of Ireland’s leading visual, music and theatre artists and internationally renowned performers; slat is a visceral performance piece inspired by the phenomenon of feral/wolf children and their struggle to exist when confronted by the ‘normal world’. It explores the dichotomy of nature versus nurture, the language of survival, and how our most primal of senses would act in their rawest states. Featuring the mesmeric movement of Japanese Butoh dancer Maki Watanabe; design and installation by Alice Maher and Paul Keogan; live music and sound design by Trevor Knight; with vocal/electric guitar by Rebecca Collins; vocal and accordion by Julie Feeney; live percussion; and choreography by Gyohei Zaitsu; slat is an intense and unique synthesis of music, dance and live-art. Audience members are standing throughout the performance. It will blow you away because slat - the surprise hit of the 2007 Galway Arts Festival - is a strange, hauntingly beautiful music installation unlike anything you have seen before. “Beautiful and thrilling...an essential experience” RTÉ Radio 1 Featherhead Productions Conceived and Directed by Trevor Knight SLAT Ireland ReViewed A showcase of successful Irish productions restaged in partnership with Culture Ireland and Irish Theatre Institute

Designer Ciaran O’Melia Dramaturg Jocelyn Clarke 1970s Mayo, a boy with a mind of his own yearns for a world he’s not sure even exists. He doesn’t know where or how to start looking but the Pope’s visit to Knock convinces him he has to try. In this sharp but poignant stand-up show, Panti traces her journey from small-town boy kicking against the uptight traditions of rural Ireland, to towering plastique woman in wigs and false lashes, railing against the death of the gay culture that saved her. Following the massive success of All Dolled Up and In These Shoes? Ireland’s first lady of drag returns to the stage with this much anticipated new show. A Woman In Progress is a Project Arts Centre commission. It will blow you away because Panti, in her various [dis]guises, has been one of the most consistently intriguing voices on the alternative arts scene in Ireland for many years. “One of the hippest theatre companies in existence” The Irish Times Venue Project Space Upstairs Dates Sept 26. Oct 8 - 11 Previews Sept 24 & 25 Times 10pm. Sunday 5pm Prices €18 - €25 Duration 55mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Project Arts Centre and THISISPOPBABY Written & Performed by Panti Directed by Phillip McMahon A WOMAN IN PROGRESS Ireland 41 Late Night Season A series of late night performances in Project Arts Centre © Ronan Healy & Niall Sweeney

Venue Newman House Dates Oct 1 - 7 Times 7pm Prices €22 - €25 Duration 1hr [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 This site-specific promenade piece, staged in the magnificent surrounds of Newman House, conjures the nightmare world of the seminal Victorian poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, as he moves towards death. The audience is invited to follow a live boys’ choir and performers around the building within a series of tableaux, installations and performance sequences. Featuring a new choral score, multiple installations and live electronics, this is a radical contemporary reinvestigation of a lost historical episode, revealing the psyche of Hopkins in Dublin as the country moves towards violent upheaval at the end of the 19th Century. Set in the very house where Hopkins died in the 1880s, No Worst There is None is a ground-breaking fusion of contemporary choral music, poetry and performance. In association with Poetry Ireland, with the kind permission of Newman House, UCD. It will blow you away because, set amongst the grand rooms of one of Ireland’s finest houses, this brave and intriguing project is led by some of Ireland’s most ambitious young artists. The Stomach Box Directed by Dylan Tighe Composed by Seán Óg Scenography by Phil MacMahon NO WORST THERE IS NONE Off Stage A series of performances in unusual locations “[The Stomach Box] raises questions about what drama is or could be” The Irish Times© Paddy O’Brien Ireland

Venue The Ark Dates Oct 8 & 9 Duration 40mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 FAMILY SEASON 2009Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival & The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children, proudly present Director Hans Rønne Cast Bodil Alling and Søren Søndberg. The wonderful thing about fairytales is that they are entertaining as well as useful. They are incredible stories about happiness and difficulties, about distinguishing between good and evil and about cleaning up life’s confusing messes. The darkest of The Brothers Grimm fairytales is brought to hair-raising life in this magical tale of gluttony and fright! Prepare to be brought on a new adventure of gingerbread houses, windows made of sugar and evil little ladies! Age 7+ It will blow you away as this production of Hansel and Gretel is rich in unexpected detail. This company make highly original theatre that is full of good decisions and wise choices. “Even if you’ve heard it a thousand times before, Gruppe 38’s performance still makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.” The Vancouver Sun HANSEL AND GRETEL Gruppe 38Denmark

Cast Bodil Alling, Joakim Eggert, Steen Molls Rasmussen, Søren Søndberg and Andreas Sandborg. Set in a room dressed for an elegant birthday party, two waiters guide us through two dozen magical place settings, and greet a table of fantastic personalities, each a fairy tale character created by Hans Christian Anderson. Winner of the Best Children’s Theatre Award in the 2006 Danish Theatre Awards, you are invited to gather around the table for an extraordinary feast for the senses in this innovative mix of theatre, puppetry, film and special effects. Age 7+ It will blow you away as this one-of-a-kind experience is visually striking, highly unique and not to be missed! “a kind of mad tea party where plates spin, forks salute and napkins have a life of their own.” New York Post Gruppe 38 Created by Philippe LeFêbvre, Paolo Cardona, Catherine Poher, Claus Helbo, Bodil Alling, Joakim Eggert, Søren Søndberg, Sille Heltoft, Kim Kirkeby, Arne Fich and Jakob Kirkegaard. HANS CHRISTIAN, YOU MUST BE AN ANGEL Denmark Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival and The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children, team up once again to present a season of celebrated international productions for families. We invite you to step into undiscovered, delightful and memorable places. Visit a perfect little world, encounter a guinea pig who reveals all in his life story, and get the chance to see the world’s most famous fairytale characters as you have never seen them before! Booking and Information Please contact The Ark on 01 670 7788 or visit www.ark.ie. All school performances €6.50 and public performances €10. For public bookings, you can also contact the Festival Box Office. Please see the grid at the back of the brochure for times and a breakdown of school/public performances. Venue Meet at The Ark. Patrons will be brought on a short walk to a mystery indoor venue. Dates Oct 3 - 5 Duration 60mins [no interval] Duration includes a ten minute walk For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 45

Venue The Ark Dates Oct 6 & 7 Duration 35mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 Once upon a time Mr. Muffin was young, strong and proud. He could even carry a whole cucumber on his back! Now he’s old, grey and tired. He sits alone in his house reminiscing. He’s had a good life, better than most... He makes a list: 1 very wise and kind wife; 1 little house with its own mail box; 4 furry little ones; And sometimes mail in the mail box. In an atmosphere of warmth and humour, Goodbye Mr. Muffin tells the story of the last days in the life of a beloved guinea pig. This uplifting and life-affirming show was awarded Best Children’s Theatre Performance 2005/06 by the Association of Danish Theatre Societies. Age 6+ It will blow you away as this remarkable, gentle and truly charming production about life and death is delightful in its simplicity, and memorable in its expression. “ Children’s theatre at its best” The Scotsman Teater Refleksion and De Røde Heste GOODBYE MR. MUFFIN Denmark

Teater Refleksion and Teater My Join us on a beautiful, delicate adventure for the very young performed in its own specially designed world. Under the stars we will find musical stories! This visually rich performance takes us on a fabulous sensory journey, where we discover what it means to be little in a perfectly remarkable world. This spellbinding show focuses on themes all small children can relate to - this wonderful life, in which anything can happen and where the big can be found within the very small... Age 2+ It will blow you away as this beautifully staged and intricately crafted theatre piece delivers a delightful work for the youngest of audiences. Venue The Ark Dates Oct 10 & 11 Duration 30mins [no interval] For Full Festival Timetable, See Page 62 “A performance for toddlers with adult appeal. More please!” Politiken SONGS FROM ABOVE Denmark 47

NT Live is an exciting new initiative from the National Theatre in London to broadcast live performances of plays onto cinema screens worldwide. On Oct 1 Marianne Elliott’s universally acclaimed revival of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, featuring Oliver Ford Davies and Clare Higgins, will be filmed in high definition and broadcast live via satellite to cinemas, theatres and arts centres, reaching a widespread audience throughout the world. All’s Well That Ends Well will also feature behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with artists. “The performances are uniformly excellent...Marianne Elliott’s direction has a clarity not short of visionary.” Evening Standard. Presented by Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival in collaboration with the Irish Film Institute with the international support of Travelex. 2009 SPECIAL EVENTS Venue Irish Film Institute Date Oct 1 Time 7pm Price €15 Duration 3hrs Booking IFI box office see page 58 Info www.dublintheatrefestival.com www.ifi.ie NT LIVE In celebration of the centenary of his death, the third instalment of Stage to Screen, a partnership between the Irish Film Institute and the Festival, will focus on the works of John Millington Synge. Featuring a selection of curious, rarely seen screen adaptations from the IFI Irish Film Archive, the season will also include one part of Druid’s celebrated DruidSynge cycle. In collaboration with the Irish Film Institute. Riders to the Sea Double Bill 1935 - Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, starring Ria Mooney and Shelah Richards. 2006 - Directed by Garry Hynes, starring Marie Mullen and Catherine Byrne. Well of the Saints (1975) Encyclopaedia Britannica production. To the Western World (1981) A dramatised recreation of the travels of Synge and Jack Yeats to Connemara in 1905. Directed by Margy Kinmonth. Playboy of the Western World (1962) Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, starring Siobhán McKenna. STAGE TO SCREEN Dates Oct 10 Time 2pm Duration 1hr 25mins Dates Oct 10 Time 12.15pm Duration 1hr 10mins Dates Oct 11 Time 1pm Duration 1hr 35mins Venue Irish Film Institute Price €7.75/€6 Booking IFI box office see page 58

Building on the success of the inaugural 2008 programme, the Festival will again provide audiences with an opportunity to see major Irish theatrical works in development before they reach full production on the stage - possibly in future Festival programmes. Presented by some of Ireland’s leading theatre companies In Development will feature rehearsed readings, open rehearsals and semi-staged performances. Events are free but booking through Festival Box Office is essential. Rough Magic Phèdre A new interpretation by Ellen Cranitch and Hilary Fannin based on the opera by Rameau and on Racine’s Phèdre, featuring traditional Irish musicians. Directed by Lynne Parker. The development and presentation of this project is part-funded by the Arts Council’s Deis scheme. Pan Pan The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane In this adaptation of Hamlet, the audience gets to decide who plays the Dane. “There is something rotten in the state of contemporary Denmark”. Directed by Gavin Quinn. Siren Productions and Crash Ensemble GAS An opera in progress. By Donnacha Dennehy; Libretto by Simon Doyle; Directed by Selina Cartmell; Designed by Dick Bird; and Conducted by Alan Pierson. CoisCéim Dance Theatre Faun CoisCéim Dance Theatre takes its starting point for David Bolger’s new work from Stephane Mallarme’s poem L’Apri Midi D’un Faun. Kindly supported by Dance Ireland. Abbey Theatre Shibboleth A work in progress by Stacey Gregg. An Abbey Theatre co-commission with the Goethe Institute to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Venue Project Arts Centre Date Oct 1 Time 1pm Venue DanceHouse Date Oct 2 Time 1pm Venue 8 Hanover Quay Date Oct 3 Time 5pm Venue Peacock Theatre Date Oct 10 Time 11am Venue DanceHouse Date Oct 4 Time 11.30am IN DEVELOPMENT

Spanning the entire 18 days of the Festival, The Next Stage is a structured artist development initiative designed to deepen participants’ engagement with the Festival, and their exposure to the international artists visiting the city. Eighteen Irish theatre practitioners from all disciplines will be chosen to participate in an intense programme of performances, talks and workshops led by some of the world’s leading theatre makers. Participation is by application only, theatreforum@ireland.com. Presented in association with Theatre Forum and Abbey Theatre. Dates Sept 24 - Oct 11 [except Sun] Times 10am - 6pm daily with performances most evenings Price €250 (including 17 performances and all workshops and talks) Application Deadline Aug 21, 5pm Info www.dublintheatrefestival.com www.theatreforumireland.com www.abbeytheatre.ie THE NEXT STAGE Project Brand New [PBN] is a programme that supports artists making work outside of traditional theatre models. Originally born out of the inaugural Next Stage programme, PBN is now asking what comes after The Next Stage? Previous Next Stage artists are invited to develop and present works-in-progress over three nights during the Festival for you to give feedback. Curated and produced by Louise Lowe, Lynnette Moran, Jody O’Neill and Dee Roycroft. Project Brand New are Associate Artists of Project Arts Centre. The Gate Theatre, in association with Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, will hold a two day directors’ Symposium in the Gate Lab, which is part of the theatre’s new wing. This event will allow mid-career directors the valuable opportunity to engage in structured sessions with leading actors, designers, directors, playwrights and producers, which will include Conor McPherson, Declan Donnellan and Garry Hynes among others. PROJECT BRAND NEW - THE NEXT STAGE Venue Project Arts Centre Dates Oct 9 - 11 Times 7.45pm Prices €5 THE GATE LAB DIRECTORS’ SYMPOSIUM Venue The Gate Theatre Lab Dates Oct 1 & 2 Times 10am - 5pm Price €75 (including lunch on both days) Info www.gatetheatre.ie www.dublintheatrefestival.com Applications laura.macnaughton@ gate-theatre.ie

Playing With The House The creators of Playhouse, the interactive light installation at Liberty Hall, will participate in a discussion to reveal how the project came together and will give you a chance to get behind the scenes. In partnership with Daft.ie and in association with SIPTU, Science Gallery and Culture Night. To Be Really Straight With You Addressing issues raised by DV8’s provocative production, To Be Straight With You, human rights activists, gay rights campaigners and religious representatives discuss issues of religious freedom, sexual morality and individual rights. To Be Really Straight with You will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. Real Lives, Real Voices Artists involved in the Documentary Theatre Season talk about the people, the processes and whether this latest theatrical innovation will have a lasting impact on the way we make and engage with theatre. All panel discussions are free and not ticketed. Please arrive on time. Venue Science Gallery Date Sept 25 Time 6pm Venue O’Reilly Theatre Date Oct 3 Time 4.30pm - 6pm Venue Samuel Beckett Theatre Date Oct 10 Time 4.30pm (approx] PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Irish Theatre Magazine hosts its annual International Critics’ Forum, at which leading theatre critics from home and abroad offer lively discussion and analysis of the highlights of the Festival programme. The panel will include French writer and critic, George Banu. Audience participation welcome. In association with Irish Theatre Magazine. INTERNATIONAL CRITICS’ FORUM Venue The Coach House, Dublin Castle, The Lab, Dublin City Council & Project Arts Centre Dates Oct 1 - 3 Booking www.irishtheatreinstitute.ie The Festival is delighted to continue this access initiative designed to ensure everybody can enjoy world-class theatre, irrespective of their social or financial circumstances. Open House offers significantly reduced ticket prices for selected Festival shows, to community groups and organisations including welfare and women’s groups, parent support groups, refugee associations, disadvantaged children and their guardians, special needs groups and their carers, and registered charities. The Festival will extend a number of €10 tickets to Open House participants, on a first-come, first-served basis. ITI’s 16th annual three-day gathering of Irish and international presenters and producers, focuses on networking and dialogue about international touring, collaboration and co-financing. The event is open to Irish theatre companies/artists with international touring credentials or ambitions, who will meet presenters from across the globe. Comprising producer/presenter meetings and pitching sessions, panel discussions and a keynote address the event takes place alongside both ReViewed, a showcase of successful Irish productions restaged in partnership with the Festival and Culture Ireland, and In Development (see main Festival programme for performance details). This event is a must for all Irish Professional Theatre companies and presenters. OPEN HOUSE IRISH THEATRE INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL THEATRE EXCHANGE Venue Project Arts Centre Date Oct 8 Time 4.30pm - 6.30pm Price Free Info www.irishtheatremagazine.com Info/Application Form openhouse@dublintheatrefestival.com 01 677 8439

The National Association for Youth Drama (NAYD) presents the Young Critics’ Panel involving young people from youth theatres around Ireland. This will provide a platform for youth theatre members to discuss and articulate their views on selected Festival productions. Chaired by Karen Fricker. NT LIVE The Pitmen Painters Schools Workshop: Coinciding with the performances of The Pitmen Painters, the National Theatre’s Staff Director Jonathan Humphreys, will lead two-hour pre-show practical drama sessions to give students the opportunity to look at staging a scene from the play, and exploring the roles of the director and actor. Launched in 2007, See You in Dublin is designed to promote Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival as a major meeting point on the international festival circuit. The programme provides assistance for leading theatre professionals to travel to the Festival to see work and participate in various events. Essential to the initiative is the desire that all See You in Dublin visitors contribute publicly to the intellectual discussion around the Festival programme and the issues it raises. With the support of Culture Ireland. The 15th annual Dublin Fringe Festival will present works which confront, embrace and defy this period of remarkable change and challenges. Find works that celebrate the re-emergence of DIY culture, reclaim our city’s empty spaces, experiment with theatre and performance and delve into experiential arts on a grand and minute scale. Encounter home grown and international arts on the street and in even more unexpected places in a fully curated programme that will not shy away from the exploration of who we are and how we got here; as a city, nation and international community. Venue Project Arts Centre Date Oct 4 Time 12pm Info www.nayd.ie info@nayd.ie Dates Oct 6 & 7 Times By appointment Price €170 for a maximum of 25 students Age range 14+ Booking Dingleson@nationaltheatre.org.uk Dates Sept 5 - 20 Info www.fringefest.com YOUNG CRITICS’ PANEL ABSOLUT FRINGE 2009 SEE YOU IN DUBLIN Dates Sept 24 - Oct 11 Info info@dublintheatrefestival.com

Opens August 19 Call In Festival Box Office 44 East Essex Street Temple Bar Dublin 2 Opening Hours Mon - Thu 9.30am - 7pm Fri 9.30am - 5.30pm Sat 10am - 5pm Sun 12noon - 3pm [Sept 27, Oct 4 & 11 only]. Online www.dublintheatrefestival.com By Phone Main Booking Line: 01 677 8899 [from Aug 19]. Lines open during Box Office opening hours above. Priority Booking Line: 01 673 0606 [from July 30]. Priority Booking From July 30, Priority Booking is available online and over the phone [01 673 0606 Mon - Fri, 10am - 6pm] for Friends of the Festival. Please see page opposite for details on how to become a Friend. Concessions Concessions are available in person for senior citizens, actors’ equity, unwaged, and full-time students with appropriate ID. Groups A group discount is available [to groups of 11+] to most performances. Please contact Box Office for details. Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers are available at the Festival Box Office. Audio Description Audio description provides visually impaired and blind audiences with a live commentary of the visual elements of a theatre performance through individual headsets. Advance booking is required so that programme notes in alternative formats [CD, Braille or large print] can be forwarded. Captioning Captioning is similar to television subtitling and gives deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people access to live performance. The actors’ words appear on a display unit within view of the stage at the same time as they are spoken. Speaker names, sound effects and offstage noises are also shown. Advance booking is required for seating with view of display units. The matinée performance of The Pitmen Painters at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday Oct 10 will be both captioned and audio- described. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the Festival Box Office. These services are provided by the Festival and facilitated by Arts & Disability Ireland with funding from the Arts Council. Special Assistance If a member of your party is a wheelchair user or needs special assistance in the auditorium please inform Box Office at the point of booking. Please Arrive on Time! If you are picking up your tickets at the venue’s box office on the night, please ensure you do so 30 minutes before show time. We will do everything possible to ensure efficiency at the box office but Festival shows are busy and you may need to queue. If you already have your tickets please arrive at the venue 15 minutes before show time. Latecomers will not be admitted and refunds are not available. Booking Fees Booking fees are charged on phone sales at €2 per ticket and partly help to cover the costs of our temporary box office. Booking fees can be avoided if tickets are bought online or in person at the Festival Box Office. No Refund/Exchange The Festival has a policy of no refund or exchange on all tickets purchased. Note All offers are subject to availability, and all information is correct at the time of going to print. Management reserves the right to change the cast or performance in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. BOOKING 01 677 8899 www.dublintheatrefestival.com

Fancy getting the best seats in the house, at discounted prices, with complimentary tickets at Festival time? Also like to get invited to discounted theatre outings throughout the year, with organised guest speakers, while at the same time providing a much needed support to the arts? Now you can, by becoming a Friend of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival!BECOME A FRIENDFriend - €115 / €210 [Single/Double Membership] Benefits include: • Two complimentary tickets from a selection of productions in the Festival • Priority booking [ahead of public booking] to secure the best seats • Private programme preview at an exclusive reception • Discounts on tickets to productions and events within the Festival • Two complimentary Festival Club memberships • No booking fees charged on any transactions • Discounted theatre tickets to organised outings throughout the year with pre-show talks • Annual international outing organised to visit a foreign city to see shows • Listing in the Festival programmes as a Friend of the Festival Best Friend - €165 / €315 [Single/Double Membership] Friend benefits plus: • Two additional memberships to the Festival Club • Listing in the Festival programmes as a Best Friend of the Festival Supporters’ Club - €365 Best Friend benefits plus: • Invitation to a post-show reception with the cast of one of the shows • Two additional complimentary tickets • Listing in the Festival programmes as a member of the Supporters’ Club Producers’ Club - €735 Supporters’ Club benefits plus: • Invitation for you and a guest to the Gala Opening of the Festival • Invitations to all special events • Personal booking assistance after public booking has opened • Listing within the official Festival brochure & programmes as a member of the Producers’ Club Directors’ Circle - €1699 Producers’ Club benefits plus: • Accreditation on all Sponsor Boards • Additional two complimentary tickets • Access to Festival venues for corporate/private hospitality • Listing within the official Festival brochure & programme as a member of the Directors’ Circle • Acknowledgement on the Festival website as a member of the Directors’ Circle Student Friend - €45 • Includes one free ticket plus a host of other benefits see www.dublintheatrefestival.com for details 55

1. Draíocht The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15 01 885 2622. www.draiocht.ie 2. O’Reilly Theatre Belvedere College, 6 Great Denmark St, Dublin 1 3. Gate Theatre Cavendish Row, Parnell Sq, Dublin 1 01 874 4045. www.gatetheatre.ie 4. DanceHouse Foley St, Dublin 1 5. Abbey and Peacock Theatres 26 Lwr Abbey St, Dublin 1 01 878 7222. www.abbeytheatre.ie 6. Liberty Hall Eden Quay, Dublin 1 7. 8 Hanover Quay, Dublin 2 8. The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children 11a Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 01 670 7788. www.ark.ie 9. Irish Film Institute 6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 01 679 3477. www.ifibooking.ie 10. Project Arts Centre 39 East Essex St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 01 881 9613. www.project.ie 11. Festival Box Office 44 East Essex St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 01 677 8899. www.dublintheatrefestival.com 12. The Empty Space Wood Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Tickets can be booked at the Festival Box Office or through the box office in theatres where numbers/ websites are provided. Festival Box Office booking information and booking fees are detailed on page 54. Venue box office booking and administration fees vary and should be confirmed directly with the venue box office at the point of booking.VENUES 09 13. Samuel Beckett Theatre Trinity College, Dublin 2 01 896 2461 [from Sept 21] 14. Odessa Club 13 Dame Ct, Dublin 2 15. Gaiety Theatre 53/54 South King St, Dublin 2 01 677 1717. www.ticketmaster.ie www.gaietytheatre.ie 16. Newman House 85-86 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 17. Science Gallery Trinity College, Pearse St, Dublin 2 18. Ionad an Phiarsaigh 27 Pearse St, Dublin 2 19. Pavilion Theatre Marine Rd, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin 01 231 2929. www.paviliontheatre.ie 20. Civic Theatre Tallaght, Dublin 24. 01 462 7477 Parking Most of the venues at Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival are conveniently served by the following Park Rite locations: > Smithfield Car Park [Queen St] > Parnell Centre Car Park [Parnell St] > Irish Life Car Park [Lwr Abbey St] > IFSC Car Park > Fleet Street Car Park [Temple Bar] > Christchurch Car Park [Werburgh St] > Drury Street Car Park [Drury St] > Pavilion Car Park [Dun Laoghaire] The following theatres have their own car parking facilities: Civic Theatre, Draíocht, and Gate Theatre.

11KM 34 5 5 4 1317 19 14 15 6 7 18 2010KM 16 LOWER ORMOND QUAY BATCHELORS WALK WELLINGTON QUAY DAME ST. LOWER ORMOND QUAY TEMPLE BAR EAST ESSEX ST . PA RL IAMENT ST . CRANE LA NE SY CA MO RE ST . EU ST AC E ST . AN GE LS EA ST . COLLEGE GREEN CR OW ST . ASTON QUAY 9 11108129 TEMPLE BAR

After a day of electrifying theatre, there’s only one place to go to let your hair down, relax with other theatre lovers, mingle with the performers and dance the night away. The Festival is delighted to return to the vibrant and lush surroundings of the Odessa Club once again this year. Admission is restricted to sponsors, visiting companies, invited guests, and Friends of the Festival. To become a Friend, please see page 55. Festival Club passes are required for entry. Located in the heart of the city centre, the Odessa Club has it all: a comfortable setting where members can eat, drink, network and party. If you are a small or large party, the club caters for all; with intimate corners to lose the night away in and two large event rooms with a capacity of 200. We recommend The Doyle Collection, Official Accommodation Provider of the 2009 Festival. www.doylecollection.com The Westbury Hotel The Croke Park Hotel Reservations: +353 (0) 1 679 1122 Reservations: + 353 (0) 1 871 4444 westbury@doylecollection.com crokepark@doylecollection.com Student Rush Willing to take a risk? Special offer standby tickets of €15 may be available to students shortly before the show starts at all venues. Just turn up, with valid ID 30 minutes before show time. Tickets are limited to one per student. Availability will vary from show to show, is not guaranteed, and will be confirmed by the venue Box Office Manager on the night. For more special offers visit www.dublintheatrefestival.com FESTIVAL CLUB ACCOMMODATION SPECIAL OFFERS Festival Feeds Festival Feeds is the perfect way to sample some of the finest restaurants in the city, as exclusive menus will be created at unbeatable prices for Festival goers. Treat yourself to the best the city can offer at a fraction of the price. Whether you fancy a quick bite before a show, or want to indulge yourself in many of the capital’s most luxurious restaurants - Festival Feeds caters for all tastes.

The Manganiyar Seduction 4 Gaiety Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 1 hr 20mins 7.30pm The Blue Dragon 6 O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 3.00pm 2hrs 7.30pm Three Sisters 8 Gaiety Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 2.30pm 3hrs 7.30pm The Pitmen Painters 10 Gaiety Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 2hrs 40mins 7.30pm 7.30pm To Be Straight With You 12 O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.30pm 1hr 20mins 7.30pm Tales of Ballycumber 14 Abbey Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.00pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 2.00pm 1hr 30mins >> 7.30pm 7.30pm [approx] KAMP 16 Samuel Beckett Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 1hr 7.30pm The Birds 18 Gate Theatre 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 3.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 3.00pm 2hrs >> 8.00pm 8.00pm Freefall 20 Project Arts Centre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 1:00pm 1.00pm 2hrs >> 7.30pm [approx] Radio Muezzin 22 Samuel Beckett Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 3.00pm 3.00pm 1hr 20mins 7.30pm The Age I’m In 24 Pavilion Theatre 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 3.00pm 1hr 8.00pm The Crumb Trail 26 Project Arts Centre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 1.00pm 1.00pm 1hr 15mins 7.30pm Cet Enfant 28 Samuel Beckett Theatre 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 5.00pm 1hr 10mins The New Electric Ballroom 30 Peacock Theatre 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 2.30pm 8.00pm 8:00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 2.30pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 2.30pm 1hr 15mins >> 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm Once and For All... 32 Project Arts Centre 3.00pm 1.00pm 55mins 7.30pm The Dead School 36 Draíocht 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 2hrs 25mins The Dead School 36 Civic Theatre 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 2hrs 25mins The Dead School 36 Pavilion Theatre 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 8.00pm 3.00pm 2hrs 25mins 8.00pm Buck Jones and the 38 Ionad an Phiarsaigh 7:30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 3.00pm 6.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7:30pm 12.00pm 6.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7:30pm 3.00pm 6.30pm 2hrs 10mins Body Snatchers 7.30pm 7.30pm 7:30pm Silver Stars 39 Project Arts Centre 7.30pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 6.00pm 3.00pm 1hr 10.00pm 6.00pm slat 40 The Empty Space 3.00pm 9.00pm 9.00pm 9.00pm 9.00pm 9.00pm 5.00pm 1hr A Woman in Progress 41 Project Arts Centre 10.00pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 10.00pm 5.00pm 55mins No Worst There is None 42 Newman House 7.00pm 7.00pm 7.00pm 7.00pm 7.00pm 7.00pm 7.00pm 1hr Hansel and Gretel 44 The Ark 10.15am 10.15am 40mins 12.15pm 12.15pm Hans Christian, 45 The Ark / Mystery Venue 2.00pm 2.00pm 10.15am 60mins You Must Be an Angel 4.00pm 4.00pm 12.15pm Goodbye Mr. Muffin 46 The Ark 12.15pm 10.15am 35mins 6.00pm 12.15pm Songs from Above 47 The Ark 2.00pm 2.00pm 30mins 4.00pm 4.00pm Show Page Venue Wed 23 Thu 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu 1 Fri 2 Sat 3 Sun 4 Mon 5 Tue 6 Wed 7 Thu 8 Fri 9 Sat 10 Sun 11 Duration TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

Title Sponsor Principal Sponsors Grant aided by Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival 44 East Essex Street Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Bookings 01 677 8899 www.dublintheatrefestival.com Programme Design - Adam Crane @ The Hive Official Media Partner Official Accommodation Provider