Fishamble received over 1,700 plays from every county in Ireland and many countries beyond.

Tiny Plays for Ireland combines selected works by members of the public and dramas by some of Ireland’s best loved writers to provide one dramatic picture of Ireland at the crossroads.

The following plays were in production in March 2012:

Safety Announcement by Joseph O’Connor
Poster Boy by Antonia Hart
White Food by Ardal O’Hanlon
Beat Him Like a Badger by Rosaleen McDonagh
The King’s Shilling by Mark Hennessy
Don’t Take It Personally by Rachel Fehily
Sure This Is It by Ciara Ní Chuirc
Between Us We Have Everything by Karl O’Neill
Pastoral Care by Gerald Murphy
Broken by Deirdre Kinahan
Commiserations by Niamh Creely
Calling Time by Michael West
Rainout by Jesse Weaver
A Body by Adrienne Michel-Long
A Deal Made in Drimnagh by Sean McLoughlin
A Life by Ronan Geoghegan
Debris by Evan Lee D’Alton
Dialogue by Gregory Rosenstock
The Nation’s Assets by Michelle Read
Tuesday Evening (Following the News) by Darren Donohue
The Audition by Rory Nolan
It’s a Lovely Day, Bill Withers by Jody O’Neill
Guaranteed Irish by Colin Murphy
Unrequited by Michael Cussen
Where Will We Go by Dermot Bolger

Directed by Jim Culleton

Cast: Steve Blount, Peter Daly, Robert Donnelly, Mary Murray, Kate Stanley Brennan and Don Wycherley

Produced by Marketa Dowling

15^th-31^st March, Project Arts Centre, Dublin

Production & Design Team:

Set Designer: Sabine Dargent
Lighting Designer: Paul Keogan
Costume Designer: Niamh Lunny
Sound Designers: Ivan Birthistle and Vincent Doherty
Dramaturg: Gavin Kostick
Hair & Make-Up: Val Sherlock
Production Manager: Des Kenny
Stage Director: Diarmuid O’Quigley
Stage Manager: Clare Howe
Directing Intern: Aisling Smith
Costume Assistant: Tullia Giacomelli
PR: Sinead O’Doherty for Gerry Lundberg

Tiny Plays for Ireland was supported by the Irish times and the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency.

Press Quotes:

‘I challenge you not to be inspired by the production as a whole which gives, through these tiny plays, a massive insight into a very talented Ireland’ entertainment.ie

‘director Jim Culleton shifts gears and changes tack admirably…(the actors are) all superb’ Irish Times

‘entertainingly performed’ Irish Independent

‘A theatrical mosaic … offering fascinating perspectives on politics and the pressures of a prolonged recession.’ The Guardian

‘each piece is expertly realised’ ***** Metro Herald

‘Extraordinary achievement…very funny…it’s what theatre should be about…the cast are superb under Culleton’s direction’ Sunday Independent

‘Brilliantly crafted…perfectly judged performances…small really can be beautiful’ Sunday Business Post

a look back at a myopic childhood

‘I got my first pair of glasses when I was seven. A nurse came to the school and tested everyone’s eyes. And so it was discovered why I’d thrown bread to the floating crisp packets in our local pond and walked into lamp posts and said, ’excuse me’. Until that day the world was a swirl of moving coloured blobs. I thought it was the same for everyone. How wrong I was.’

‘Part memoir, part theatre and part stand-up comedy’ (Irish Independent), this delightful story of a myopic seven year old is brought to you by actor and comedian, Sonya Kelly (The Savage Eye).

Written and performed by Sonya Kelly

Directed by Gina Moxley
Produced by Marketa Dowling

2012 Touring:

February 9 – 11: Civic Theatre, Tallaght
February 16 – 17: The Mill Theatre, Dundrum
February 27 – March 2: axis, Ballymun
March 3: Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
April 6: GB Shaw Theatre, Carlow
April 12: Wexford Arts Centre
April 13: Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire
April 18: The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar
April 20-21: Draíocht, Blanchardstown
May 3: Droichead Arts Centre, as part of Drogheda Arts Festival

Reviews for The Wheelchair on My Face:

‘hilarious, poignant..it will please viewers of all lens-prescriptions and none’ **** Irish Theatre Magazine

‘delightfully whacky.. hilarious.. tight script and engaging performance.. terrific’ **** The Irish Times

‘wonderfully fresh script..highly endearing’ The Sunday Business Post

‘an absolute delight of a show’ The Irish Mail on Sunday

‘a delightful hour, full of wit and keen observation along with the odd pull at the heartstrings’ Sunday Independent

‘beautifully evocative..fabulous’ RTÉ Arena

photo by www.mariafalconer.co.uk

Silent is the touching and challenging story of homeless McGoldrig, who once had splendid things. But he has lost it all – including his mind. He now dives into the wonderful wounds of this past through the romantic world of Rudolph Valentino.

Written and performed by Pat Kinevane

Directed by Jim Culleton
Composer and Sound Designer: Denis Clohessy
Costume styled by Catherine Condell
Produced by Marketa Dowling

Awards:

• Fringe First at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011
• Herald Angel at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011
• Argus Angel at Brighton Festival 2012

2012 Touring:

January 20, 21: Ivan Vazov National Theatre, Sofia, Bulgaria
January 28, 29: Hotbed Festival, Cambridge, UK
February 4: Birr Arts Centre, Birr
February 15: Town Hall Theatre, Galway (performance for COPE Galway)
February 16, 17: Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, Dublin (performance for Dublin Simon Community)
February 18: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
March 24: Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge (performance at the Samaritans Regional Conference)
April 26: Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo
May 5-7: Pavilion Theatre at Brighton Dome, Brighton Festival
May 9: Ulster Hall, Belfast, as part of 15 Minutes (excerpt)

Read more on Silent touring in 2011.

Reviews for Silent:

‘bawdily humorous and at times moving production… Kinevane moves around the stage with extraordinary grace’ - Irish Mail on Sunday

‘riveting’ Sunday Times

‘a must-see if ever there was one’ ***** The List

‘fabulous dance of whirling words..a bravura outpouring of sorrow, anger, hurt and lacerating wit’ ***** The Herald (Scotland)

‘unflinching, intensely physical performance..bristling with black humour’ **** The Scotsman

‘remarkable range of styles and devices…to be in that audience was to experience a rare synergy between performer and the performed-to’ Irish Independent

‘a striking performance under Jim Culleton’s effective direction…a moving story, which, until its end, pulses with the erratic noise of life’ Irish Times

‘Has no one a skitter o’ dignity left?’

Written and performed by Pat Kinevane
Directed by Jim Culleton
Produced by Marketa Dowling

2012 Touring:

17 April: Town Hall Theatre, Galway

Read more on Forgotten touring in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007.

Forgotten is a solo piece of theatre which reveals the interconnecting stories of four elderly people, living in retirement homes and care facilities around Ireland, who range in age from 80 to 100 years old. 1943 was a curious year for this quartet – their lives have never been the same since…

At times, challengingly dark and, at other times, startlingly hilarious, Forgotten is presented in a fusion of European and Japanese Kabuki theatrical styles.

Pat Kinevane’s previous plays for Fishamble include The Nun’s Wood and The Plains of Enna. He has worked as an actor in theatre, film, radio and television for the past seventeen years. Credits include Black Day at Blackrock, A Mother’s Love’s A Blessing, King Arthur, Ballykissangel, I Keano and The Late Late Show Murder Mystery.

Press Quotes:

‘***** Kinevane is a powerful force… this is an unequivocally beautiful piece’ The Scotsman

‘a piece of theatre not easily forgotten…a performance of rare authority and completeness‘ The Sunday Tribune

‘astonishingly realised…a consummate act of storytelling…a striking accomplishment; captivating, moving, and -yes- even unforgettable.’ The Irish Times

‘Forgotten marks Fishamble’s second appearance in New York, after last fall’s The Pride of Parnell Street. With this poignant one-man show, the company proves itself once again to be the progenitor of innovative, socially engaged drama that’s both lyrical and tough as nails… It is an exemplar of the solo show form.’ www.nytheatre.com

‘an indelible solo performance…one of the most unexpectedly witty and dramatically rewarding works of the theater you are likely to attend this year’ Irish Voice

‘Never underestimate the substance, the complexity, of a long life. ‘Forgotten,’ Pat Kinevane’s one-man show at the Irish Arts Center, gracefully illustrates that point with mimickry, invention and formidable stamina. Well paced and poignant. Mr. Kinevane artfully conveys the secrets, the hidden past, of the aged, and the dignity often behind their quaint, seemingly innocuous bearing.’ The New York Times

‘… the monologues are beautifully written and vivid , what makes this show uniquely memorable is Kinevane’s raw, over-the-top, compassionate performance…’ The New Yorker

‘Every now and then you see something truly unique…Pat Kinevane’s Forgotten is a superb showcase for this exceptionally warm and generous performer. More than a play, it’s poetry, and it’s an immersive experience.” Jon Sobel, Blogcritics.org

‘With this poignant one-man show, Fishamble proves itself once again to be the progenitor of innovative, socially engaged drama that’s both lyrical and tough as nails. The power of the piece—which juxtaposes each character’s pain with flashes of humor and humanity—transcends. Forgotten is well-worth seeing for the strength of Pat Kinevane’s writing and precision of his performance, and the fluidity of Culleton’s direction. It is an exemplar of the solo show form.’ NY Theater.com

‘Every once in a while, if we are lucky, we stumble upon a work of art so staggering that it whirls about our memories long after our initial encounter.’ Dossier Journal

by Sean McLoughlin

“I’m not walkin’ out that door Natalie. If I walk out that door, I’m walkin’ out on the best thing that ever happened to me. And that’s not gick talk.”

Directed by Jim Culleton
Cast: Darren Healy & Mary Murray

Design: Sinead O’Hanlon
Lighting: Mark Galione
Sound: Ivan Birthistle & Vincent Doherty
Producer: Marketa Dowling

Awards:

• Darren Healy – Best Actor at 1st Irish Festival, New York, 2011
• The Irish Times Best New Play Award 2007
• Stewart Parker Trust Award for Best First Play, 2007

2011 Touring:

2 – 3 September: Civic Theatre, Tallaght
5 September – 2 October: The Drilling Company, New York, as part of 1st Irish Festival and Imagine Ireland, Cultire Ireland’s year of Irish arts in America

About Noah and the Tower Flower:

Natalie is looking forward to getting a new flat and a new start. But when she meets Noah, her future is threatened by the chance of falling in love. Noah and the Tower Flower is about two Dubliners, Noah and Natalie, struggling to leave their pasts behind as they begin to fall in love. It is a comic love story, set in the heart of Ballymun.

Noah and the Tower Flower was premiered by Fishamble in 2007.  It won the Irish Times Best New Play Award and the Stewart Parker Trust Award for Best First Play. Fishamble will bring this production to the 78th Street Theater Lab as part of the First Irish Festival in New York, with support from Culture Ireland, immediately after the special preview performances at the Civic.

Fishamble’s previous work in New York includes Forgotten by Pat Kinevane at the Irish Arts Center last year, and The Pride of Parnell Street by Sebastian Barry at 59E59, which was also directed by Jim Culleton and starred Mary Murray, winning awards for Best Production and Best Actress at the First Irish Festival in 2009.

Praise for Noah and the Tower Flower

‘It’s a little cracker…Mary Murray and Darren Healy are as funny, endearing and accomplished as could be hoped for…
Jim Culleton directs with a great touch of liveliness and subtlety.’ The Sunday Independent

‘…Sean McLoughlin has written a fairytale of Ballymun with all the edge of Shane MacGowan’s New York version… Mary Murray is stunning as Natalie; Darren Healy brings physical comedy, a manic energy and a superb De Niro impersonation to his portrayal of Noah… Jim Culleton has clearly allowed the actors to nurse their characters into life… exhilarating, clever and disturbing.’ The Irish Independent

‘McLoughlin demonstrates a keen eye for character and an ear for amusingly blunt dialogue.’ The Irish Times

‘McLoughlin convincingly captures the desperation of obsession, addiction, loneliness and love, in a Dublin idiom laced with mordant humour.  Darren Healy and Mary Murray make the intimacy of Fishamble’s production almost difficult to watch… the snappy Dublin banter in McLoughlin’s play is beautiful, hard poetry…’ The Sunday Business Post

‘A promising playwright…the exchanges bring laughter consistently, the rude poetry is convincing – McLoughlin has an acute ear, a fine sense of comedy… excellent performances… an entertaining evening’s theatre.’ The Irish Examiner

Written by Gavin Kostick
Directed by Louise Lowe

Cast: Dee Burke, John Cronin, Úna Kavanagh, Ronan Leahy, Michael Glenn Murphy, Mary Murray, Bairbre Ní Chaoimh and Robbie O’Connor and students of the Gaiety School of Acting, Visions Drama School and community cast.

Artistic Director Jim Culleton
Produced by Marketa Dowling

19th July 2011 – 22nd July 2011, Temple Bar, Dublin

LISTEN TO A SOUND CLIP: Mary Murray and John Cronin in The End of the Road

Fishamble, in partnership with Temple Bar Cultural Trust, presents a new, very special, off-site production The End of the Road.

The 80 minute production takes you around Fishamble Street and its environs, in order to tell a version of the life story of Bill, currently a patient at St Francis Hospice, Raheny. A series of short plays, strange events and coddle-making, inspired by Bill’s life and favourite things, is brought to life inside and outside, up and down Fishamble Street, offering you new connections to buildings, gardens and streets. A real Dublin life story is brought to you through the glimpses, tangents, and dramatic turning points of a life fully lived over the past seven decades in the city.

Production & Design Team:

Production Manager: Paul Davis
Deputy Production Manager: Caroline Kavanagh
Costume Design: Niamh Lunny
Graphic Design: Dave Darcy
AV Design: Evan Flynn
Sound Design: Ivan Birthistle & Vincent Doherty
Stage Managers: Caoimhe Regan & Steph Ryan
Hair & Make-Up: Val Sherlock
Directing Intern: Andrew Deering
PR: Sinead O’Doherty

The End of the Road is supported by an education grant from Mundipharma.

Press Quotes:

‘charismatic performance…wonderful theatre…*****’ Irish Examiner

‘we are profoundly aware that history is being made all around us…particularly moving’ Irish Times

‘terrific…gloriously realised…brilliant…utterly magical slice of theatre…evocative, immersive and deeply touching’ entertainment.ie

Click on the photo to listen to an excerpt from The Pride of Parnell Street by Sebastian Barry.

Directed by Jim Culleton
Produced by Marketa Puzman

Cast: Mary Murray and Joe Hanley

Fishamble: The New Play Company is proud to bring the hugely successful revival of The Pride of Parnell Street on an eight-venue, five-week long national tour of Ireland, with performances in Tralee, Portlaoise, Dun Laoghaire, Letterkenny, Ennis, Longford, Galway and Dublin. For the first time ever in Ireland, there will be one audio-described and captioned performance in each venue of the tour. This is facilitated by Arts & Disability Ireland and marks the rolling out of ADI’s assisted performance service for audiences with disabilities nationwide.

2011 Touring:

27-28 April: Siamsa Tíre, Tralee
30 April: Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise
3-7 May: Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire
10-11 May: An Grianán, Letterkenny
13-14 May: Glór, Ennis
17-18 May: Backstage, Longford
20 May: Town Hall Theatre, Galway
24-28 May: The Helix, DCU

Description:

The Pride of Parnell Street is a moving account of a marriage and a time that have both past. Through interconnecting monologues an estranged couple, Janet and Joe, chart the intimacies of their love and the rupturing of their relationship, as well as their enduring love affair with Dublin city itself.

In this world premiere production, Sebastian Barry’s new play explores, with vivid tenderness, the devastating effects of public and private acts of violence. This is an intimate, heroic tale of ordinary and extraordinary life on the streets of Dublin.

Sebastian Barry is a major, internationally-renowned playwright and novelist. His plays include The Steward of Christendom, Our Lady of Sligo, Prayers of Sherkin and Hinterland. His awards include the BBC/Stewart Parker Trust Award, the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize, the Ireland/America Literary Prize, the Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play, the Writers’ Guild Award, the Lloyds Private Banking Playwright of the Year Award and the Peggy Ramsay Play Award, as well as nominations for the Olivier Award and Man Booker Prize.

Jim Culleton directs the multi award-winning cast of Mary Murray (Best Female Performer at ‘First Irish festival in New York for her role of Janet, Best Actress at the MAMCA Award 2008) and Joe Hanley (Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards 2010 nominee) and the play features the exceptional design team of Sabine Dargent (set/costumes), Mark Galione (lighting) and Denis Clohessy (music) (Irish Times Irish Theatre Award winner 2010).

For the full tour history and premiere information on The Pride of Parnell Street, click here.

Irish Press Quotes:

‘The play is quiveringly beautiful… quite simply magnificent’ - Sunday Independent

‘Barry’s excellent script is laced with lucid humour… so powerfully delivered that it will hardly leave a dry eye in the house… affecting, moving and unmissable theatre… highly recommended.’ - RTE.ie

‘Directed and performed with deft beauty… Jim Culleton’s touch throughout is sure…  a masterpiece of restraint and controlled emotion’  - The Sunday Tribune

‘Absolutely fantastic… the writing is absolutely beautiful… an amazing piece of theatre’ - The View – RTE TV

‘Fishamble’s production quite stunningly realises its potential… an utterly absorbing evening’ - The Sunday Business Post.

New York Press Quotes (2009 revival):

‘lovingly acted… written in the artful style you have come to associate with Mr. Barry, in which rambling, vernacular talk assumes the music and patterns of poetry. And as directed by Jim Culleton, Ms. Murray and Mr. Kelly share a gift for sensually summoning the fractured present of people for whom the past seems far more vivid than anything since. Both, in other words, are a pleasure to watch and listen to. Mr. Culleton always keeps them onstage at the same time, so you’re aware of the omnipresence of each in the other’s life. Sabine Dargent’s subtly divided set and Mark Galione’s lighting suggest a couple eternally connected and divided, like lovers in a ghost story.’ - Ben Brantley, New York Times

‘the performances in this Fishamble Theatre Company production, imported from Dublin as part of the 59E59 Theaters’ 1st Irish festival, couldn’t be better.’ –  New York Post

‘powerful central performances’  - Theatremania

‘a breathtakingly effective memory play… Kelly and Murray are consummate performers… Jim Culleton directs Barry’s words with a subtlety and rhythm that are beautifully balanced… “The Pride of Parnell Street” is the first New York production from the Ireland-based Fishamble: The New Play Company, and also one of the first entries in the 1st IRISH theater festival that runs through October. If this gem is any prediction of signs to come, locals will have a tremendous opportunity to experience first-rate Irish theater. “The Pride of Parnell Street” is quite simply brilliant… Joe and Janet will stay with you beyond the final blackout.’ - The Leader, New York

‘Under the secure direction of Jim Culleton, the talented Kelly and Murray turn this language into authentic arias. Kelly, in the more difficult role, is still the real thing, while Murray as the woebegone wife is able to suffuse Janet with a genuine charm.’ - Backstage

‘Under the secure direction of Jim Culleton, the talented Kelly and Murray turn this language into authentic arias. Kelly, in the more difficult role, is still the real thing, while Murray as the woebegone wife is able to suffuse Janet with a genuine charm…This is a feat that shows strikingly what can be done when a writer, director and actors combine their enormous talent and overcome impossible odds in a real triumph.’  - Curtain Up

‘one of the most honest, subtle, and intricate explorations of “the relationship” seen on stage in recent memory.’ - NYTheater.com

Written and performed by Pat Kinevane

Directed by Jim Culleton
Composer and Sound Designer: Denis Clohessy
Photographer & Stage Manager: Ger Blanch
Costume styled by Catherine Condell
Produced by Marketa Dowling

Awards:

• Fringe First at Edinburgh festival Fringe 2011

• Herald Angel at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011

2011 Touring:

Reviews for Silent:

‘bawdily humorous and at times moving production… Kinevane moves around the stage with extraordinary grace’ - Irish Mail on Sunday

‘riveting’ Sunday Times

‘a must-see if ever there was one’ ***** The List

‘fabulous dance of whirling words..a bravura outpouring of sorrow, anger, hurt and lacerating wit’ ***** The Herald (Scotland)

‘unflinching, intensely physical performance..bristling with black humour’ **** The Scotsman

‘remarkable range of styles and devices…to be in that audience was to experience a rare synergy between performer and the performed-to’ Irish Independent

‘a striking performance under Jim Culleton’s effective direction…a moving story, which, until its end, pulses with the erratic noise of life’ Irish Times

Written and performed by Pat Kinevane
Directed by Jim Culleton
Produced by Marketa Dowling

2011 Touring:

17 February: Glór, Ennis
23 February: Siamsa Tíre, Tralee
5-7 May: Tron Theatre, Glasgow, as part of the Mayfesto Festival
17 June: St. Angela’s College, Sligo
22 July: Áras Éanna, Inis Oírr – 100th performance
5 November: Ballina Arts Centre, Co. Mayo
18 November – 4 December: Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles

Read more on Forgotten touring in 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007.

What New York Audiences said about Forgotten:

Description:

Forgotten is a solo piece of theatre which reveals the interconnecting stories of four elderly people, living in retirement homes and care facilities around Ireland, who range in age from 80 to 100 years old. 1943 was a curious year for this quartet – their lives have never been the same since…

At times, challengingly dark and, at other times, startlingly hilarious, Forgotten is presented in a fusion of European and Japanese Kabuki theatrical styles.

Pat Kinevane’s previous plays for Fishamble include The Nun’s Wood and The Plains of Enna. He has worked as an actor in theatre, film, radio and television for the past seventeen years. Credits include Black Day at Blackrock, A Mother’s Love’s A Blessing, King Arthur, Ballykissangel, I Keano and The Late Late Show Murder Mystery.

Press Quotes:

‘***** Kinevane is a powerful force… this is an unequivocally beautiful piece’ The Scotsman

‘a piece of theatre not easily forgotten…a performance of rare authority and completeness‘ The Sunday Tribune

‘astonishingly realised…a consummate act of storytelling…a striking accomplishment; captivating, moving, and -yes- even unforgettable.’ The Irish Times

‘Forgotten marks Fishamble’s second appearance in New York, after last fall’s The Pride of Parnell Street. With this poignant one-man show, the company proves itself once again to be the progenitor of innovative, socially engaged drama that’s both lyrical and tough as nails… It is an exemplar of the solo show form.’ www.nytheatre.com

‘an indelible solo performance…one of the most unexpectedly witty and dramatically rewarding works of the theater you are likely to attend this year’ Irish Voice

‘Never underestimate the substance, the complexity, of a long life. ‘Forgotten,’ Pat Kinevane’s one-man show at the Irish Arts Center, gracefully illustrates that point with mimickry, invention and formidable stamina. Well paced and poignant. Mr. Kinevane artfully conveys the secrets, the hidden past, of the aged, and the dignity often behind their quaint, seemingly innocuous bearing.’ The New York Times

‘… the monologues are beautifully written and vivid , what makes this show uniquely memorable is Kinevane’s raw, over-the-top, compassionate performance…’ The New Yorker

‘Every now and then you see something truly unique…Pat Kinevane’s Forgotten is a superb showcase for this exceptionally warm and generous performer. More than a play, it’s poetry, and it’s an immersive experience.” Jon Sobel, Blogcritics.org

‘With this poignant one-man show, Fishamble proves itself once again to be the progenitor of innovative, socially engaged drama that’s both lyrical and tough as nails. The power of the piece—which juxtaposes each character’s pain with flashes of humor and humanity—transcends. Forgotten is well-worth seeing for the strength of Pat Kinevane’s writing and precision of his performance, and the fluidity of Culleton’s direction. It is an exemplar of the solo show form.’ NY Theater.com

‘Every once in a while, if we are lucky, we stumble upon a work of art so staggering that it whirls about our memories long after our initial encounter.’ Dossier Journal