Druid reaffirm commitment to new writing with an exciting season of premieres and mentorship programmes running throughout 2014

“It’s not theatre until someone’s watching”

Druid’s foundation of supporting emerging writers and fostering new voices within Irish theatre began with their partnership with Tom Murphy, arguably one of Ireland’s greatest living playwrights. The Company is delighted to announce the World Premiere of Murphy’s new work, Brigit, a companion work to his seminal Bailegangaire. Throughout the decades Druid has continued to both discover and support some of Ireland’s most important playwrights (including Enda Walsh and Martin McDonagh), and is embarking on an exciting season of new writing, premiering Be Infants in Evil by Brian Martin at Galway Arts Festival, as well as working with emerging artists ThereisBear!, Meadhbh McHugh and Emily Gillmor Murphy in the development of new work.

Productions for 2014:

• World Premiere of Tom Murphy’s Brigit, touring alongside Bailegangaire
• World Premiere of Be Infants in Evil at Galway Arts Festival
• Recipients of inaugural FUEL Residency
• New work presented as part of Druid Debuts programme

“This is the next generation of theatre makers on Druid stages, I am proud we are able to support it and thrilled of course to be going back in to a rehearsal room to direct new work by Tom Murphy”
- Garry Hynes

Tom Murphy’s Brigit and Bailegangaire

As part of the ongoing relationship between Druid and Tom Murphy, Druid will present the World Premiere of Brigit, alongside a revival of Bailegangaire, first premiered by Druid in 1985. Bailegangaire will play Clifden Arts Festival 23-24 September, and both plays will tour to the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, followed by further dates in Dublin later this year.

For his new play Brigit, with a cast that will include Jane Brennan and ensemble member Marie Mullen, Tom Murphy weaves a new pattern from the lives of the women of Bailegangaire, going back thirty years and complementing them with such other memorable creations as the husband Seamus, the grandchild Tom, the local curate, Fr. Kilgariff and the Reverend Mother.

One of the crowning achievements of Irish drama, Bailegangaire is unique in Tom Murphy’s work for centering exclusively on the lives of women. It throws an unremitting but tender light on a trinity of women’s lives from a dark time. This production will star Druid Ensemble Member Marie Mullen, along with Aisling O’Sullivan and Catherine Walsh.

“I am very excited about these Druid productions.”
- Tom Murphy

Be Infants in Evil

As part of Galway Arts Festival, Druid will present the premiere of Brian Martin’s playfully comic and uncompromisingly savage ode to modern Ireland, Be Infants in Evil, directed by Oonagh Murphy. Be Infants in Evil is Brian’s debut work, and featured as part of the 2013 Druid Debuts programme. The production will star Bailey Hayden, Roxanna Nic Liam, Marion O’Dwyer and Druid Ensemble Member Marty Rea.

“I am delighted to be working with Druid for the first time on Be Infants in Evil at the Galway Arts Festival. It’s a very exciting debut play about Ireland from a startling, fresh voice. Producing new plays by emerging Irish talent is something Druid do best, and the project has attracted some incredible collaborators, including some of my favourite Irish actors.”
- Oonagh Murphy

FUEL Residency

Druid is delighted to announce ThereisBear! as the first recipient of the inaugural FUEL Residency programme supporting emerging artists in the West of Ireland. ThereisBear! will receive a six week residency in The Mick Lally Theatre in which to develop and perform a new work.

ThereisBear! Theatre’s new piece, No Show, focuses on the life of performers during the Showband era. The relationship of three members of a showband in 1960s Ireland comes under strain as they seek fame and fortune. Their stories, spanning from the ridiculous to the most devastating, give a glimpse of what it takes to survive in show business.

“The ThereisBear! team is honoured to have been awarded the Druid FUEL residency for 2014. We would like to thank Druid, and everyone else, for their support in our development as a theatre company and giving us the chance to bring our shows to the next level. Following our successful, jam-packed Spring Programme, ThereisBear! is so excited to deliver our brand new theatre piece with the Druid FUEL residency.”
- ThereisBear!

Druid Debuts

Druid will present rehearsed readings of Helen and I by Tuam native Meadhbh McHugh and A Boy Called Ned by Emily Gillmor Murphy as part of the 2014 Druid Debuts initiative. Established by Druid in 2001 to support the development of talented emerging writers, the texts have been selected through Druid’s open submissions process, which each year receives 200 scripts from writers across Ireland.