On Sunday July 31st the final curtain fell on Druid’s acclaimed production of The Silver Tassie by Sean O’Casey at the prestigious Lincoln Center Festival in New York, concluding a phenomenal 22 weeks of touring in the US in 2011 as part of Imagine Ireland. The coast-to-coast US tours encompassed 10 cities, with 132 performances of 3 productions, playing to an astonishing 55,000 audience members, firmly placing Druid as the premiere international Irish touring theatre company.

Artistic Director, Garry Hynes, who was described this week by the New York Times as “probably the foremost interpreter of Irish drama in the world today”, is thrilled with the critical and enthusiastic response Druid has received in the US.

“I am very proud that all three production have received such a great response in the US and it is fitting that we should end this record breaking year of US touring in New York, the city we first toured to back in 1986. I’d like to thank the 75 actors and crew who worked across these shows and of course our funding partners, The Arts Council and Culture Ireland, for their unwavering support. Equally importantly we thank the audiences who came out to see us, whether it was through the snow last February in Boston or the heat last week in New York!”.

Druid first toured to the US in 1986 and, over the past twenty-five years, invitations to tour internationally have increased year on year. By the end of 2011, Druid will have toured to sixteen cities in the US, including winning four Tony Awards in 1998 for its production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. Since 2006 alone, Druid, with the support of Culture Ireland, has presented six shows in New York.

“With their unprecedented US touring this year, Druid have introduced great Irish theatre to tens of thousands of new American audiences across the country as a flagship part of Imagine Ireland. The critical acclaim they have received across America has lifted the profile of Irish creative excellence and Imagine Ireland as a whole. We’re now working with Garry and the great Druid team on ambitious plans to build on this momentum for 2012.”

Earlier this year Penelope by Enda Walsh played the Studio Theatre in Washington DC and last June a major 5-month US & Irish tour of The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh completed its run.

The US critics have been lavish in their praise of all three shows, which in turn has been endorsed by the capacity houses and repeated standing ovations.

REVIEWS FOR THE SILVER TASSIE July 2011, Lincoln Center Festival, New York

New York Times
“this fine production”…“directed by Garry Hynes, probably the foremost interpreter of Irish drama in the world today”

Associated Press*
“Expertly directed by Garry Hynes, Druid’s artistic director, the presentation blazes with emotion and bold choices…The Druid players are all gifted, and Hynes’ discerning direction — together with the design of Francis O’Connor and elegiac choreography by David Bolger with Vanessa Lefrancois — all enhance the emotional power of the production.”

REVIEWS FOR PENELOPE March – April 2011, The Studio Theatre, Washington DC

The Washington Post
“snarling, mesmerizing howl of a black comedy”

New York Times
“extravagantly imaginative play”

“how many plays these days offer as much to think about as this one does?”

REVIEWS FOR THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN Feb – June 2011, Nine city coast-to-coast US Tour

The Los Angeles Times
“Kudos to Hynes for balancing the play’s mix of mockery and truth in her internationally acclaimed production.”

The Washington Post
“fiendishly funny …a definitive production”

Druid will be back on stage in Galway from November 11 – 19 with their production of Big Maggie by John B. Keane starring Aisling O’Sullivan in the title role. The production will then tour to Dublin and nationwide with the support of the Arts Council Touring Grant. For more see www.druid.ie

All three productions were presented in the US as part of Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland’s year of Irish arts in America in 2011.

Druid acknowledges the support of The Arts Council in funding the original staging of these productions and acknowledges the support of Culture Ireland with the international touring programme.