Thisispopbaby to Present Return of WAKE For A 3 Week Run For St Patrick's Festival 2024

THISISPOPBABY will present the return of their incredible smash-hit theatrical phenomenon, WAKE, taking over the National Stadium again in March 2024, for an unmissable homecoming show, over a three week run. A high-octane, heart-thumping night out, WAKE is a celebration of life, of togetherness, of grabbing the ones you hold dear and screaming, I Love You over the amazing music created for this very special production.

THISISPOPBABY are the hit-makers of international sensation RIOT, that toured around the globe and starred Ireland's national treasure Panti Bliss - but this show, WAKE is a home-grown arena party uniting a ferocious full band with the most extraordinary circus, aerial, dance and spoken word artists in the land. If you haven't seen it already, expect wild acrobatics, Irish trad-with-a-twist, searing hot variety acts and outrageous cabaret. This dazzling explosion of past and future makes for an electric night out with your very best pals.

THISISPOPBABY have been tearing up the space between high art and club culture for 16 years and have been a vital force for social change in Ireland since then, by creating a vision of Ireland that we can all be proud of.

Co-created and co-directed by THISISPOPBABY's Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon, the show's all-star cast toasts yesterday's passing as we dream up tomorrow, together. Appropriating the traditions, rites and structure of the Irish wake, the show lifts the veil between worlds, where club culture meets Irish tradition in an exquisite frenzy of ritual, rave, grief and joy. The show explores liturgy, grief, togetherness and collectively imagining the future, all within the framework of a wild party. The talent of the cast includes trad musicians, Electro Pop superstars, Aerialists, a Pole dancer, Irish dancers, hip hop dancers, singers, spoken word artists, cabaret stars and queer fabulists. THISISPOPBABY's partnership with iconic designer, Niall Sweeney, continues for WAKE 2024 and it couldn't work without his exemplary artistic talent.

In 2024, WAKE runs as part of St. Patrick's Festival. Richard Tierney, CEO St. Patrick's Festival says of the partnership "We are immensely proud to welcome THISISPOPBABY to our One City programme for St. Patrick's Festival, 2024 with such an eclectic and groundbreaking show that has already proven to be a cultural zeitgeist. 'WAKE' encapsulates the vibrant spirit of contemporary Ireland while showcasing pioneering Irish artistry. As we celebrate all things Irish, it is productions like WAKE that underline the creative force Ireland continues to be on the world stage."

Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon are equally excited: "We are delighted to bring this bold, ambitious, fabulous juggernaut of a show back to Dublin as part of St. Patrick's Festival 2024. WAKE thrilled audiences during its premier run, and now, under our direction, this world class company of performers reunites to take the roof off the National Stadium once more."

Having premiered at Dublin Fringe Festival in 2022 to the best of critical acclaim, the show quickly became award winning, having garnered the Judges' Special Award at the Dublin Fringe Theatre Awards. Felicia Olusanya (also known as Felispeaks) won Best Performer and the show won the Judges Special Award. Other nominations included Best Production; Best Performers for Emer Dineen and Philip Connaughton (who wins so many hearts in the show); Best Costume Design for Julian Smith; and Best Ensemble Award.

MEET THE TEAM:

The show's story is contextualised by acclaimed writer Carys D. Coburn, writer of Citysong, Absent the Wrong, and the recent 5 star hit play, Hothouse, by Malaprop. The cast is out of this world and includes singer and performer from Dublin band Phoeno, Adam Matthews; World-class aerialist specialising in hoop is Aisling Ní Cheallaigh; Composer, sound designer, keys, singing and music direction, tours with Moncrieff, Wallis Bird, Villagers - is Alma Kelliher - and she makes her own music under the moniker of Lux Alma; Accordian player, traditional musician with band Moxie, is Darren Roche; Dancer in the show is Deirdre Griffin (she's also a choreographer); Irish actor and singer based in London, will star in the Abbey Theatre's The Quare Fellow this winter is Emer Dineen; Drummer Ryan McClelland has been described as an 'absolute monster behind the kit'; Irish star poet and performer Felicia Olusanya takes us through the incredible story with her powerful words; Kerry dancer and singer Jade O'Connor, gives it socks. Jade is also half of Femme Bizarre Theatre Company; World champion pole artist from Venezuela, Lisette Krol is another major feature in the show - has also her own pole and hoop studio in Dublin with hundreds of students; traditional musician and fiddle player Lucia McPartlin helps bring the audience on a wonderful musical journey; American Irish dancer Michael Roberson was a great find by THISISPOPBABY - he got a bus across the US to audition for a THISISPOPBABY's workshop in New York - and then ran away to the circus and did aerial training - to bring a whole new talent of expertise to WAKE; and last but very much not least is Philip Connaughton - Choreographer, dancer, longtime collaborator of THISISPOPBABY.

WAKE is a howling, raucous, soul-stirring celebration of community, regeneration, and the magic of collective catharsis. It's an adrenaline shot for the city, which embraces the ecstasy of letting go, the wild abandon of the all-nighter and the beauty of transformation in a rabble-rousing night of gut-punching theatre, soaring spoken word, stomping beats and outrageous circus.

It's a party! Consider this an open invitation to attend, as this show will set you up to dance into the dawn.

CAST: Philip Connaughton / Emer Dineen / Deirdre Griffin / Alma Kelliher / Lisette Krol / Adam Matthews / Ryan McClelland / Lucia McPartlin / Aisling Ní Cheallaigh / Felicia Olusanya / Jade O'Connor / Michael Roberson / Darren Roche

CREATIVE TEAM:
Directed by Jennifer Jennings & Phillip McMahon

With text from Carys D Coburn

Music Composition, Sound Design & Musical Direction by Alma Kelliher

Choreographed by Philip Connaughton

Set & Graphic Design by Niall Sweeney

Lighting Design by Mark Galione

Costume Design by Julian Smyth

Produced by Carla Rogers & Matt Smyth

ABOUT - THISISPOPBABY:

With Dublin as our base, muse and backdrop, THISISPOPBABY has been igniting stages around the world for seventeen years with an exhilarating mix of theatre, night club, festival and activism.

The company has thrived at the cutting edge of contemporary live performance in Ireland, pioneering large-scale shows such as WAKE, RIOT and Alice In Funderland, incendiary multidisciplinary festivals Where We Live and Queer Notions, iconic underground performance like WERK and Salty, and via award-winning contemporary new writing.

To date, the work has played to audiences of over 400,000, collaborating with an innumerable number of incredible artists to light up our cities and speak to the world through the lens of what it means to be Irish. Innovation is in the company's veins, the work provokes change, and every THISISPOPBABY show inspires, entertains - and shocks! - in the most glittering way.

THISISPOPBABY is proud of its support from The Arts Council, Dublin City Council and Culture Ireland.

ABOUT - Phillip McMahon:

Phillip McMahon is playwright and director based in Dublin.

Phillip is co-founder and co-director of theatre production company THISISPOPBABY, wherein he was co-creator and co-curator of the THISISPOPBABY performance venue at Electric Picnic Music and Arts Festival, Queer Notions cross arts festival, WERK Performance/Art/Club and Where We Live festival of performance and ideas.

He was a former Writer In Association at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. He is currently an Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, and is a Research Fellow at the Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, London.

ABOUT - Jennifer Jennings:

Jennifer Jennings is a theatre and festival maker based in Dublin. She is co-founder and co-director of acclaimed Irish theatre company THISISPOPBABY, Arts Director of Beyond the Pale Music Festival and Artistic Director in Residence at UCD's Creative Futures Academy.

For THISISPOPBABY, highlights include co-directing the recent smash-hit WAKE (Judges' Special Award Dublin Fringe 2022), the international sensation RIOT (Best Production, Dublin Fringe 2016); directing Shit by Patricia Cornelius and family show Absolute Legends for Lords of Strut; curating Where We Live Festivals 2018 & 2020, Queer Notions Arts Festival 2009 & 2010, POPTENT at Electric Picnic 2008-2010 and WERK performance art club (The Abbey Theatre, IMMA and Melbourne Festival); and producing Panti's High Heels in Low Places (World Tour 2015-2017 / Soho Live films 2018), Sure Look It, Fuck It by Clare Dunne and Alice in Funderland - A New Musical by Phillip McMahon and Raymond Scannell.

Previously Jennifer has been Artistic Director of Neon Lights Music & Arts Festival (Singapore), Arts Programme Director of Harvest Music Festival (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane), Head of Programming at Abbotsford Convent Melbourne and Programme Director for Dublin Fringe Festival.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS: 

National Stadium, South Circular Road, Dublin 8

Opening week:

Wednesday 6 - Friday 8 March @ 7.30pm / Tickets €25 - €45 (+booking fee)

Saturday 9 March (2 shows) @ 7.00pm + 9.30pm / Tickets €25 - €45 (+booking fee)

Runs: Tuesday 12 - Friday 15 March @ 7.30pm / Tickets €25 - €45 (+booking fee)

Tuesday 19 - Friday 22 March @ 7.30pm / Tickets €25 - €45 (+booking fee)

Saturday 16 + Saturday 23 March (2 shows) @ 7.00pm + 9.30pm / Tickets €25 - €45 (+booking fee)

VIP TICKETS: €99 (+booking fee)

Running Time: 90 mins approx. (no interval)

BOOK: waketheshow.com

Tickets go on general sale on Friday at 10am. Customers can get ahead of the curve by signing up for an exclusive pre-sale at waketheshow.com.

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