The Year That Was 2024

Maeve Fitzgerald and Marty Rea in The Dead. Image by Patrick Redmond

As another year draws to a close, pour yourself a generous indulgence of your favourite tipple and get comfortable. We’ve an entire year to cover so sit down, exhale, relax. Mindful, as always, of all the shows I didn’t get to see, let’s look at some of the highlights, lowlights, shining stars and black holes that made up the year that was 2024. Beginning with a little context before we get settled.

Amy Molloy and Marty Rea in The House. Image, Ros Kavanagh

It’s always the way of the thing; theatre is forever in a state of crisis. Funding and its distribution, lack of venues, working conditions, ChatGPT. Often it falls to the critic to highlight concerns. Shaw, Tynan, Billington all gave voice to the concerns of their times. Even so, many revile the critic unless they’re dishing out five star cheerleading scores. Sometimes the resentment is warranted. Often it’s just asinine prejudice passed off as self-evident truth. ‘No one has ever raised a statue to a critic.’ In fairness Sibelius didn’t have Google images where he could find lots of statues to critics. Or Behan’s ‘eunuchs who see how it’s done but don’t know how to do it.’ Shaw knew. Tynan knew. And both did it. Then there’s protecting the experimental sanctity of the artistic process. No one’s interested in undermining the artistic process. Most critics understand the sacrifices involved and that no one puts on a show intentionally to fail or to fall short of its own ambition. But sometimes they do, for a variety of reasons. Finally, and most disingenuous of all, Roosevelt’s ‘it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles.’ No one would accuse you of undermining the strong if you criticised an undercooked meal you paid for, a new car you bought that sputters at ten miles an hour, or a five star hotel that turned out to be a hovel. Indeed, artists who are genuinely strong appreciate honest and insightful feedback as to where they might have stumbled. Even then, you’re not mandated to agree with the critic. It’s about provoking conversation. So with that in mind, let’s begin our round up with The Gate and The Abbey. Who, in 2024, looked as if they were vying to become Dublin’s newest Arts Centres.

Eavan Gaffney in Breaking. Photo Anthony Woods

If Roisín McBrinn and Colm O’Callaghan were considered a safe pair of hands following Selina Cartmell’s departure (Cartmell now installed as artistic director at Manchester’s Royal Exchange), safety proved a risk that hasn’t quite paid off. Stealing pages from the Abbey’s playbook, and sliding towards an education and community arts centre model, The Gate front loaded their summer with the old Abbey ruse of a tourist friendly, Irish classic. Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa proving a smart move and a fine production. Meanwhile Charles Way’s adaptation of Mary Norton’s The Borrowers proved underwhelming despite some terrific performances, as did Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, both directed by McBrinn. Emma Donoghue’s ambitious, if patchy, The Pull of the Stars, directed by Louise Lowe, was an all female revelation that landed some solid blows. A double dollop of political theatre saw Thomas Bernhard’s The President, co-produced with Sydney Theatre Company, not being to everyone’s liking, even as The Lyric’s touring production of The Agreement was to most people’s liking. The end result a mixed bag of mostly modest delights.

Claire O'Leary and Aoife Mulholland in The Borrowers. Image, Ros Kavanagh

Meanwhile, The Abbey had another difficult year. Whatever Mark O’Brien and Caitriona McLaughlin’s artistic choices, they inherited a poison chalice and have borne it bravely and with dignity. Even so, with funding withheld for a time, along with that ‘report,’ The Abbey made a handbrake turn mid year and went dark, dropped shows and altered its schedule. Lingering suspicions about the timing of the report and reasons for going dark leaving a sour taste. Damage to The Abbey’s reputation immeasurable. Similar to Ireland’s theatrical reputation. Both sounding anachronistic despite spin to the contrary. As a former colleague in New York asked after seeing Luke Casserly’s Distillation in the Irish Arts Centre in June (having played at The Peacock in February), ‘is this what the Abbey invests in exporting these days?’ Personally I liked Distillation’s quirkiness, but, if I’m honest, I take her point. It’s good in its way, but is it a standard bearer? Is it as good as Malaprop’s brilliant Hothouse which rightly drew critical acclaim Stateside?

Kate Gilmore in Safe House. Image, Ste Murray

Back home, perforated with celebrity and cultural one night stands, The Abbey’s women writers programme The Gregory Project stumbled as the year went on before plummeting face down into Grainne. The road to Gregory lined with good intentions as Marina Carr’s impressive enough Audrey or Sorrow and Na Peirsigh/Persians Le hAeschylus, aistrithe ag Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill got the year off to a solid start. But Elizabeth Kuti’s lacklustre The Sugar Wife, Janet Moran’s similarly staid Aftermath and Hilary Fannin’s underwhelming Children Of The Sun failed to get out of first gear. Fortunately, the handbrake turn which saw Marina Carr lose out on a second Abbey production gave us Enda Walsh’s superb Safe House with a brilliant Kate Gilmore, who also shone in The President. Yet even an impressive Ella Lily Hyland couldn’t save Lady Gregory’s instantly regrettable Grainne. The year rounding off with Kat Hamill’s Gen Z, cartoon fluff that was the fun and frolicking Emma.

Alter, by Kamchàtka. Image uncredited.

Elsewhere in Dublin, The Project Arts Centre saw a changing of the guard as Sophie Motley took over from the much loved Cian O’Brien as artistic director. The baton also passing at Dublin Theatre Festival as Róise Goan took over as director from a stalwart Willie White. White and O’Brien much admired, as is the Project’s Carmel Mackey, a front of house fixture who retired this year…well, mostly. Meanwhile the Viking, Bewley’s Café Theatre, The New Theatre and Smock Alley kept their respective flags flying, along with The Civic, Axis and Draiocht Art Centres. It was often in such venues that more interesting work was happening. Similarly Glass Mask Theatre who, after a bumpy year, finally secured Arts Council funding and look set for a promising 2024.

Sorcha Furlong in Tender Mercies. Image Al Craig.

Once again it was outside Dublin that much of what was best was happening, especially during festivals. Indeed, the festival model looked like the preferred way for audiences to consume theatre in 2024. Yet festivals raise concerns about their impact on local theatres as well as the cost of travel, accommodation, and eating out for prospective audiences. Still, festivals did attract the best productions of 2024, including Druid’s fantastic revival of Tom Murphy’s, The House, the first of three Outstanding Productions of 2024 and the crown of Dublin Theatre Festival.

Zak Ford-Williams (role rotated with Michael Patrick) in The Tragedy of Richard III. Credit, Melissa Gordon

Elsewhere, Belfast International Arts Festival saw the award winning Lyric Theatre again showing how it’s done. The heartfelt The Tragedy of Richard III, starring Michael Patrick and Zak Ford-Williams, pushing at several boundaries. Even so, Cork Midsummer Festival proved to be 2024’s Outstanding Arts Festival for serving up some decidedly brilliant treats. Including Landmark Productions Theatre for One, in which Una Kavanagh in Louise Lowe’s Bait proved simply breathtaking. A promenade through Cork’s Shandon district in the delightful Winter Journey was both clever and smartly executed. Yet the transformative, nighttime forest stroll that was Alter by Kamchàtka, was the star of Midsummer and, unquestionably, The Best International Production of 2024. Meanwhile, Galway again set standards high with Mark O’Rowe’s stupendously brilliant Reunion, the second of 2024’s Outstanding Productions.

Dancing at Lughnasa. Image Ros Kavanagh

Opera had some strong outings with Kilkenny Arts Festival premiering Irish National Opera’s Trade/Mary Motorhead by Emma O’Halloran, libretti by Mark O’Halloran. INO enjoying a busy year with Rigoletto, L’Olimpiade, Salome and La Traviata, the latter 2024's Outsanding Opera Production. Wexford Festival Opera maintained its unrelenting commitment to excellence with The Critic by Charles Villers Stanford, libretto by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali by Donizetti. Lady Gregory in America, by Alberto Caruso, libretto by Colm Tóibín, was by all accounts, also a terrific production. 

Ultan Pringle and Emmanuel Okoye in Boyfriends. Image by Owen Clarke

If dance had a quieter year, there was still quality to be had, with Luail, the newly minted Ireland's National Dance Company raising hopes for things to come. Junk Ensemble’s superb Dances Like A Bomb and São Paulo Dance Company by Dance Consortium served up early year threats. BLKDOG by Botis Sava and 13 Tongues by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan were highlights in an otherwise underwhelming Dublin Dance Festival. Hip hop artist Jessie Thompson’s hugely impressive Crawler took Edinburgh by storm, Thompson a rising star to watch out for. Hyperphysical, by Irish Modern Dance Theatre, was a wonderful, five star delight. Yet Coisceim’s Dancehall Blues takes Outstanding Dance Production of the Year for its irresistible grace and charm.

Irish National Opera's La Traviata. Image, Ros Kavanagh

2024 was a year when independent artists and companies provided much needed freshness and excitement. Glass Mask Theatre, weathering the storm of hard knocks, enjoyed success with Simon Stephen’s Country Music and Stephen Jones’s From Eden. Whatever their teething pains Glass Mask addressed one of the most worrying aspects in contemporary Irish theatre: creating opportunities for emerging young talent, of which there is an abundance, most notably female artists. Jordanne Jones in From Eden, Pattie Maguire in Country Music, and Tara Cush in The Dole Wide World were each outstanding, even in instances when the show was not. Indeed, many artists redeemed what were lacklustre productions throughout 2024; Claire O’Leary in The Borrowers, Meghan Tyler in Aurora, Mary Murray in Cosima, Pattie Maguire again in Julius Caesar Variety Show, and Eavan Gaffney in Breaking, Children Of The Sun and A Streetcar Named Desire, each artist outstanding even when the work was not.

Venetia Bowe, Cathy Belton, Simone Collins and Robert Sheehan in Reunion by Mark O'Rowe. Image by Kris Askey

Just to say if you fancy pouring yourself a little top up, please feel free. We'll wait.

Amanda Coogan in Possession. Image by Patricio Cassinoni

Experienced performers were not to be outdone. Rebecca O'Mara and Fiona Bell were stunning in Children of The Sun. Catherine Walker and Cathy Belton both fabulous in Reunion, as were Ruth McGinn and Aoife Mulholland in The Borrowers. Maeve Fitzgerald shone in The Dead, Map of Argentina and The Pull Of The Stars, as did Sorcha Furlong in Tender Mercies and Happiness Then. Bríd Ní Neachtain agus Caitríona Ní Mhurchú lit up Na Peirsigh/Persians Le hAeschylus and Deirdre Monaghan was simply mesmerising in Madeira. As was Carmel Stephens in Mother and Child and Amy Molloy in The House. Ericka Roe in It’s Always Your Bleedin’ Own, Marty Breen in Bitch, and Eva O’Connor in Chicken cemented their reputations as formidable rising stars. As did Hannah Mamalais in Emma, Emer Dineen in 0800 Cupid, and Imogen Doel and Hazel Doupe in Circle Mirror Transformation. Still, Eavan Gaffney and Pattie Maguire shone, with both responsible for several Outstanding Performances this year. As did a brilliant Leanne Bickerdike in Jodie Doyle’s Hate F%#k. But if you insist on only one, that would have to be the indomitable Marie Mullen for illuminating The House, The Dead, Endgame and Audrey or Sorrow with a presence and elegance that's unsurpassed. Mullen's effortless effort exuding characteristic joy and conviction, enriching everything she does.

Marie Mullen and Bairbre Ní Chaoimh in The Dead. Image by Patrick Redmond.

Men, on the other hand, had a far quieter year as gender balance looked like a bad joke. The Abbey’s female focused season and shows like The Pull Of The Stars saw mostly experienced male performers catching the breaks. Hugo Weaving impressive in Thomas Bernhard’s The President, as was Stephen Rea in Krapp’s Last Tape. Louis Lovett delightful in The Maestro and The Mosquita. As was Jack Meade and Peter Gowen in Dancing at Lughnasa. Robert Sheehan, Stephen Brennan and Ian-Lloyd Anderson each terrific in Reunion and the comic stylings of Domhnall Herdmann set Emma alight. Yet Marty Rea stood out, excelling in The Dead, The House, and Circle Mirror Transformation, delivering several Outstanding Performances in 2024

Leanne Bickerdike in Hate F%#k by Jodie Doyle. Image Al Craig

Other productions that brought something to the year include Amanda Coogan’s superb Possession with Theatre for the Deaf. Are Ya Dancin’ by Carol Gleeson and Helen Spring was a hugely successful attempt at an Irish musical focused on the showband era, one sure to make a comeback. Tina Noonan’s hard hitting The Island exploring men’s experience of institutional abuse proved a labour of love that brought much love to a sensitive topic. Throughout the year, tech and design were again executed to the highest standard, with Katie Davenport garnering Designer of the Year for Safe House and La Traviata. And while you could argue for any number of seasoned directors who excelled, relative newbie Ois O’Donoghue warrants Director of the Year for the promise shown in Hate F%#k.

 Ericka Roe in TKB's It's Always You Bleedin' Own. Image, Ste Murray

Regards new plays, companies like Jaxbanded and LemonSoap Productions confirmed their reputations for interesting new work with Jodie Doyle’s Hate F%#k and Ultan Pringle’s Boyfriends respectively. LemonSoap Productions earning Best New Company. The hugely talented Joy Nesbitt, along with the equally talented Pringle striking out with a Gen Alpha vibe that’s irresistibly infectious. Indeed, Pringle’s Boyfriends was a cracking piece of work, as was his directorial work on the hugely impressive Beards. If Boyfriends was a contender for play of the year, that should probably go to Mark O’Rowe’s Checkhovian comedy, Reunion, which was superb on every level. But championing the young, TKB’s It’s Always Your Bleedin’ Own takes Best New Play of 2024 for being smart, sassy, sexy and socially astute. Some will argue Amy Kidd’s Breaking should be in the mix. But forty five moderately interesting minutes that are then played backwards with actors alternating roles leans too heavily into student level gimmickry. Leaving the jury out with fingers crossed that Kidd will deliver on sure signs of promise. Having worked with Fishamble’s illustrious Jim Culleton, she’s sure to have learnt a tonne.

Eva O'Connor in Chicken. Image Paul Baker and Hildegard Ryan

Approaching the finish line, we canter home with Louise Lowe for her Outstanding Contribution to Irish Theatre. The Dead, Pull of the Stars, Hammam, Theatre for One, Starjazzer, all delivered within a twelve month period and not a dud amongst them. With her partner in crime Owen Boss, Lowe and a dedicated team have made ANU into one of the most important Irish theatre companies of the past decade. Their production of The Dead, in association with the brilliant Landmark Productions, being one of the year’s theatrical highlights and the third Best Production of 2024, seeing Landmark responsible for two of the year’s three best productions. Lowe’s intimate, immersive, no pulled punches productions might not be to everyone's liking, but you can’t discount her brilliance as a writer, historian, or director, or deny how helped shape much of what's best in modern Irish theatre.

Dancehall Blues. Image by Ros Kavanagh

What can we hope for in the coming year? With The Abbey’s programme still unclear it’s hard to know what to expect from the National Theatre. But with The Gregory Project continuing into 2025 with the political charged Palestinian play MILK مِلْك., you wonder is the Gregory Project ever going to end? A project attempting to imagine our future through revisioning the past often at the expense of understanding our present. Steeped in overt gender bias wherein everyone is not equally represented. Meanwhile The Gate launches a rinse and repeat season as McBrinn doubles down on safety. A return to Dancing at Lughnasa and a touring revival of Erica Murray’s The Loved Ones dampening enthusiasm. Murray, without doubt, is one of our most exciting new writers. But most want to see what she does next, not what she did last, especially this early in her career. Leaving it to a promising Lear and Abi Morgan’s Lovesong to generate excitement. And to those independent artists, and those we have yet to meet, to set the theatrical world alight.

Pattie Maguire and John Cronin in Country Music by Simon Stephens. Image by Wen Driftwood

Whatever happens, theatre will remain in a state of crisis. The changing political landscape which ousted The Green Party after a disastrous term  means the departure of Catherine Martin as Minister for the Arts. Whatever her party’s considerable shortcomings, Martin was a true advocate for the Arts who will be sorely missed. Her departure leaving the industry to renegotiate policy, with some parties, like Sinn Fein, allegedly not even having an arts policy worth speaking off. Then there’s the distribution of funding which saw the Irish Theatre Institute clamouring for signatories to redress an imbalance which has seen theatre’s allocation, outside of the big two, remain fundamentally unchanged since 2008 despite soaring costs. That simply has to change.

Jason Mcnamara and Jessie Thompson in Crawler. Image uncredited

There are other challenges. Attracting an audience in a costly city with pathetic public transport and deserted bicycles lanes engender problems of access which theatre can’t directly address. Then there’s the challenge from live music, with gigs and music festivals providing that communal, cathartic experience theatre claims to deliver but too often fails to provide. Indeed, the Abbey’s PR celebration of its 120 years, Spreading The News, ended the night by ceding the stage to a musician. Ominous? Symbolic? Stretching the point? One thing’s for sure, you wonder what the future of theatre looks like? All you can know for certain is that shows like Alter, The Dead, The House, or Reunion, or emerging artists like Eavan Gaffney, Pattie Maguire, Ultan Pringle and Leanne Bickerdike, or seasoned icons like Catherine Walker, Marty Rea, Fiona Bell and Marie Mullen can still send your pulse racing, only to induce a stillness in which you don’t want to move, speak or breath. Theatre still has the power to take your breath away. It doesn't happen enough, but when it does, nothing compares to it.

Bitch by Marty Breen. Imahe Sophie O'Donovan

So here’s raising a glass to all those who bravely and insanely tried and inspired in 2024. We thank you. For the record, no one expects everyone to agree with everything said. But a good critic is like a trusted friend. They try inform the audience of what they can expect for investing their time and money and practitioners if the emperor is naked, semi-dressed, overdressed, or rocking the catwalk. You might think with friends like that who needs enemies? But a friend that says what some might not want to hear makes for a better friend and, hopefully, a better critic.

Here’s wishing everyone every success in 2025.