The Abbey Theatre Announces Their 2010 Season

The Abbey Theatre announces a second world premiere, one of Shakespeare's most thrilling plays and a great Irish work from the repertoire as part of its 2010 season.

The Abbey Theatre is proud to announce a further new commission of an Irish work in 2010 to follow Thomas Kilroy's previously announced world premiere, CHRIST DELIVER US! BOOKWORMS by Ireland's master of comedy, Bernard Farrell, opens on the Abbey stage in May and is the playwright's eleventh play to premiere at the theatre. 2010 also sees a continuation of the Abbey's promise to present an annual work by Shakespeare while, in addition, the Abbey canon is celebrated with a new production of one of the most outstanding and controversial Irish plays of the 20th century, Sean O'Casey's THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS. In its commitment to continue supporting and collaborating with the best of the country's artistic talent, Ireland's National Theatre also welcomes new as well as previously acclaimed work from Gúna Nua, The Waterboys and others.

January 2010 sees a continuation of the Abbey's smash-hit show THE SEAFARER, written and directed by Conor McPherson and with an all-star cast of Liam Carney, Phelim Drew, Nick Dunning, Maeliosa Stafford and Don Wycherley. This powerful, award-winning play finishes on Saturday 30 January and is followed by the first of the theatre's much-anticipated world premieres, Thomas Kilroy's CHRIST DELIVER US! Back in the Abbey after 6 years Kilroy has adapted German dramatist Frank Wedekind's daring play, SPRING AWAKENING, to write a significant work reflecting on the deep and often dark relationship between The catholic Church, Ireland and its young people. CHRIST DELIVER US! also sees director, Wayne Jordan, making his debut on the Abbey stage. The Abbey is proud to announce that Jordan, who was previously Resident Assistant Director at the theatre, is to become a new Associate Artist, for the next 3 years.
The week around Ireland's St. Patrick's Day celebrations boasts one of the most captivating and unique events at the Abbey in 2010. Since setting W.B. Yeats' The Stolen Child to music on the classic Fisherman's Blues album, The Waterboys frontman Mike Scott has been quietly crafting an astonishing collection of work which combines the poetry of Yeats with the passion of the Waterboys music. The result is AN APPOINTMENT WITH MR. YEATS, five extraordinary evenings of song and sound at the Abbey with Scott, world renowned fiddle player Stevie Wickham and an array of special guest musicians and artists. Certainly an event not to be missed!
Continuing the season of exciting and exhilarating events is a brand new Abbey production of one of Shakespeare's most thrilling works, MACBETH. The famed ‘Scottish Play' about power, paranoia and the lure of politics, is directed by Jimmy Fay, whose stunning production of THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI was one of the most lauded plays of 2008. This much-loved play stars two of Ireland's most exciting actors, AiDan Kelly and Eileen Walsh. The Abbey is also presenting a school and public workshop programme in conjunction with the production, which is available to all those interested in exploring Shakespeare. The National Theatre's second new commission is a razor-sharp comedy on life after the collapse of the Celtic Tiger. Written by the popular playwright, Bernard Farrell, BOOKWORMS is a witty and wicked farce based around the modern-day phenomenon of the ‘book club'. It is directed by Jim Culleton who is making his debut at The Abbey Theatre, and runs from Tuesday 1 June until Saturday 10 July.
A further exciting highlight at the National Theatre in 2010 is a new production of Sean O'Casey's iconic drama THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS, which is to be directed by Wayne Jordan. This is an historic play for a new audience at a time of national crisis, when the principles and ideals of the proclamation and founding of the Republic are, more-than-ever, under consideration.
As if all of this wasn't enough, the Peacock stage also boasts the multi award-winning Gúna Nua/Civic Theatre production of LITTLE GEM by Elaine Murphy, which opens on 20 January. Full details on all Peacock events are to be released in January 2010.
The work of the National Theatre also continues overseas with the theatre fulfilling its mission to showcase its work to as wide an audience as possible while extending the life of many of its new plays. AGES OF THE MOON, the second Sam Shepard play to premiere at the Abbey, has its New York premiere at the Atlantic Theater in January while a Stateside tour of Mark O'Rowe's critically acclaimed TERMINUS is in the planning pipeline for autumn 2010 following the great success of the play's 2009 national tour and run at the Melbourne International Arts Festival.
Director of The Abbey Theatre, Fiach Mac Conghail, states, " As Ireland's National Theatre we are strongly committed, even in these economically difficult times, to ensuring that our audiences are presented with a programme that is invigorating, entertaining and vital. We are presenting big plays for our times which will assist us all, as citizens, to learn from history and politics. The Abbey is supporting our fellow citizens and artists in the national recovery. We at the Abbey won't be found wanting in the debate about the future of our nation. This is the strength of great theatre and it is why I am delighted to present two world premieres and startlingly relevant works from playwrights Thomas Kilroy and Bernard Farrell, both wonderful writers who've had long-standing relationships with the Abbey.
"It is the responsibility of every generation at the Abbey to interpret and present Sean O'Casey on the stage of the National Theatre with new vitality, vision and energy and so I am also extremely proud to present a new 21st century production of THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS, which will be directed by Wayne Jordan whom we are also welcoming onboard as the Abbey's latest Associate Artist."

2010 SEASON

ON THE ABBEY STAGE

THE SEAFARER
Written and Directed by Conor McPherson
Wed 9 Dec 2009 - Sat 30 Jan 2010
Previews: Fri 4 Dec - Tues 8 Dec
Ticket prices: Preview €20, €18 [Concession €18, €15]
Evening €38, €33, €29, €25 [Concession Mon to Fri only €28, €23, €20, €18]
Matinee €25, €22, €20 [Concession €21, €19, €17]

In the midst of this raucous tale of drinking, craic and card playing, there is a tender story of family, and of redemption. Conor McPherson himself takes the directorial helm in this reprisal of one of the Abbey's most successful shows of 2008.

World Premiere
CHRIST DELIVER US!
Written by Thomas Kilroy
Directed by Wayne Jordan
Tue 16 Feb - Sat 13 Mar
Previews: Tue 9 Feb - Mon 15 Feb
Ticket prices: Preview €20, €18 [Concession €18, €15]
Evening €38, €33, €29, €25 [Concession Mon to Fri only €28, €23, €20, €18]
Matinee €25, €22, €20 [Concession €21, €19, €17]

An Abbey Theatre commission, based on Frank Wedekind's masterpiece of German symbolism Spring Awakening, CHRIST DELIVER US! is a play about growing up - how hard it all is, and how wonderful - during a period of Irish history that we can never again look back on with nostalgia.

AN APPOINTMENT WITH MR. YEATS - THE WATERBOYS
Mon 15 Mar - Sat 20 Mar
(No performance on Wed 17 Mar)
All ticket €49.50

A show fusing the poetic power of W.B. Yeats and the visceral music of The Waterboys. The show will also include a selection of Waterboys favourites, specially chosen and rearranged for this context along with specially invited guest musicians.

World Premiere
BOOKWORMS
Written by Bernard Farrell
Directed by Jim Culleton
Tue 1 June - Sat 10 July
Ticket prices: Preview €20, €18 [Concession €18, €15]
Evening €38, €33, €29, €25 [Concession Mon to Fri only €28, €23, €20, €18]
Matinee €25, €22, €20 [Concession €21, €19, €17]

A witty and wicked farce based around the modern-day phenomenon of the ‘book club' by Ireland's master of comedy.

MACBETH
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Jimmy Fay
Dates TBC
Ticket prices: Preview €20, €18 [Concession €18, €15]
Evening €38, €33, €29, €25 [Concession Mon to Fri only €28, €23, €20, €18]
Matinee €25, €22, €20 [Concession €21, €19, €17]

The famed ‘Scottish Play' about power, paranoia and the lure of politics, is directed by Jimmy Fay, whose stunning production of THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI was one of the most lauded plays of 2008.

THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS
Written by Sean O'Casey
Directed by Wayne Jordan
Dates TBC
Ticket prices: Preview €20, €18 [Concession €18, €15]
Evening €38, €33, €29, €25 [Concession Mon to Fri only €28, €23, €20, €18]
Matinee €25, €22, €20 [Concession €21, €19, €17]

This is an historic play for a new audience at a time of national crisis, when the principles and ideals of the proclamation and founding of the Republic are, more-than-ever, under consideration.

ON THE PEACOCK STAGE

LITTLE GEM - A Gúna Nua / Civic Theatre Production
Written by Elaine Murphy
Directed by Paul Meade
Wed 20 Jan - Sat 27 Feb
Preview: Tue 19 Jan
Ticket prices: Preview €18 [Concession €15]
Evening €25 [Concession Mon to Fri only €20]
Matinee €20 [Concession €18]

Three generations of women: one extraordinary year of sex, birth, death and salsa classes.

Abbey Theatre ON TOUR

AGES OF THE MOON
Written by Sam Shepard
Directed by Jimmy Fay
Atlantic Theater, New York
Wed 27 Jan - Sun 7 Mar
Previews: Tue 12 Jan - Tue 26 Jan

Byron and Ames are old friends, re-united by mutual desperation. Over bourbon on ice, they sit, reflect and bicker until fifty years of love, friendship and rivalry are put to the test at the barrel of a gun. Written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Sam Shepard especially for leading Irish actors Sean McGinley and Stephen Rea, AGES OF THE MOON is a gruffly poignant and darkly funny play.

TERMINUS
Written and Directed by Mark O'Rowe
US Tour
Dates TBC

Catapult from the bustling streets to the skies above Dublin, then plummet deep to the bowels of the earth as three people are ripped from their daily lives and thrown into a fantastical world of singing serial killers, avenging angels and love-sick demons.

 

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