IT IS OUR 9TH EDITION
AND WE ARE STARGAZING
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SCENE + HEARD: The Festival of New Work returns to Smock Alley Theatre this February. The 2025 festival offers a thrilling mix of creativity and bold experimentation – think of it as a feast for the senses! Artists from across Ireland and beyond showcase their innovative new ideas, giving audiences an exclusive chance to witness the genesis of exciting future productions.
This year, the festival will debut 111 brand-new works, featuring over 600 performers, designers, directors, and creators. The selection celebrates daring ideas, artistic fusion, and creative risk-taking. Audiences are invited to engage directly, offering vital feedback that helps shape the final evolution of these works.
What’s in store for 2025?
A truly diverse programme with no overarching theme - expect a kaleidoscopic array of performances:
For Comedy Lovers: Get ready for side-splitting, sensational, and surprising shows sure to tickle your funny bone! The multilingual marvel Perfectionistá odes to women through camp humour, while Coconut Bit dives into the hilarity of sound design. Mercury Rising offers a goofy twist on reality, and Lock Up Your Uncles sees one woman’s determined quest for Ireland’s hottest uncle. For fans of chaotic charm, Dada Dojo by Paul Currie promises absurdist antics.
Laugh along to The Ballad of Levi Strauss, Francis Breen’s denim-clad cowboy comedy, and As An Immigrant, I Love Ireland, Dhruv’s witty take on cultural differences. Same As It Ever Was compares past and present with sharp comedic observations, while Brian Garvan’s amstersad spins a slideshow of a hilariously bad trip. For tragicomic fans, Slap Me Thrice And Hand Me To Me Mama explores Kevin McNally’s thespian highs and lows. The satirical Cronie Brothers: Free Trial delves into selling out, Porno uses clowns to twist live sex show tropes, and These Sketch’d Times brings timely humour to deeply unfunny times. Finally, Showpony combines the world of dairy farming and comedy in an unforgettable performance.
For Dance + Physical Theatre Fans: Delight in daring displays of dynamic storytelling and visceral visuals that will move you to the edge of your seat. Please Break My Heart transforms heartbreak into endless inspiration, while White-Knuckled grips audiences with the gut-wrenching pain of breaking free from bonds. In Wrestling is Fake, the performers hilariously prove their point with high-energy antics. Rooted & Rising: A Dance of Two Selves offers an immersive journey of self-discovery and cultural integration, while Cult of Aerobics unleashes the audience's potential with vibrant, vivacious routines. Itch scratches at the struggles of living with adversity, and Las Cuatro delivers an all-female, comedic, surreal circus cabaret that promises to amaze and amuse in equal measure.
Intrigued by the Human Condition: Dive deep into thought-provoking performances that explore identity, self-discovery, and the essence of being. Hoteru takes audiences on a transformative travel journey, while The Dirt on Your Shoe emphasizes self-care and the power of prioritizing oneself. Cravings humorously confronts diet culture and the struggle for self-acceptance, and Feral Women offers a visceral exploration of inner battles. The Big Chop bravely examines the challenge of facing yourself, and Fifteen Minutes of Shame delves into the question, "Who are you, really?".
In The Borderlands Personality Disorder, borders—both physical and metaphorical—are examined for the limits they impose, while The Problem with Kate Winslet’s Dress is an absurdist journey through hope and human resilience. How to Have Fun as an Adult champions the useless, indulgent, and absolutely essential, while Parasocial Pat hilariously laments his ghosting by his favourite podcast.
Want a Love Connection: Lose yourself in the captivating complexities of love, loss, and laughter as these shows sweep you off your feet. I Had a Dream I Shot You in the Head…but the Calibre Wasn’t Very Big explores love’s absurd extremes, while Play It Again immerses us in the poignant pangs of hopeless romance. In Love Me Do, drag meets clown and dark humour to reveal the hilarity and heartbreak of relationships. Amsterdam navigates the tender turmoil of friends falling in love, and E-N-D-S hilariously dissects breakups over “Friends” the show. Part(s) (W)Hole turns a dykey breakup into a musical catharsis, while A Red Romeo and A Blue Julian showcases fiery fights and passionate reconciliations, proving love’s many shapes and shades will leave you laughing, crying, and utterly enthralled.
Music + Musical Jazz Hands: Surrender to the symphonic sweep of storytelling in this melodic medley of musicals and music-filled marvels. In My “Best” Friend Left Me in the River with My Uileann Pipes to Die, haunting harmonies entwine with a tale of betrayal, while Shaving Ysbaddaden brings bards together to weave an epic, enchanting tale. Animal Farm 2: The Moosical! humorously reimagines Orwell’s classic with musical flair, and Beautiful Broken Things embraces why we’re here in the first place with a melodic exploration of meaning. Son of a Witch delivers a ballad of grief and resilience for those left behind, and I Wouldn’t Mind Control reminds us that healing has no off button. Gleek of the Week celebrates the transformative power of art through a Glee-inspired journey, while Please Hold captivates with sex, synths, and a live, liminal experience. Finally, Your Heart is an Empty Room tackles the tangled emotions of heartbreak—because band breakups can hurt even more than romantic ones.
Interested in the world we live in: Immerse yourself in insightful, impactful stories that spotlight society’s struggles and strengths. Big Yellow Letters and Fanny Riot explode with the chaos and catharsis of the Dublin riots, while It’s F- confronts the complexities of women’s healthcare. In Late Night Station, two guards navigate sticky situations with humour and heart, and Working Load Limit tackles digital overload with daring, dynamic flair. I Want to Speak to Your Manager hilariously tracks a woman’s radical transformation into a “Karen”, while Forbidden Fruit builds bonds through the universal language of food. Celebrate resilience in The Quiet Men, a tribute to actors Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields, and Adelphi ’63, a nostalgic ode to joy and the Beatles. Monere unpacks bigotry’s impact, A Scream in Search of a Mouth explores the anatomy of femicide, and Sorry That Happened to You bravely examines life after the trauma of rape. Dark comedy shines in Too Big to Try and Free Drugs and Killer Whales, probing corporate greed and underwater absurdities with razor-sharp wit.
For Experimental and Avant-Garde Enthusiasts: Prepare to be provoked and perplexed by this lineup of audacious artistry. Bird Face, but it’s a Mask blurs the boundaries between identity and anonymity, while Something Up Ahead draws us into the lives of strangers on a late-night train. Grindset hilariously satirizes the pursuit of life optimization, and Alejandro Reads a Poem poetically ponders immortality. The Land That Never Was brings a conman’s wild scam to life, and An Impulsive Absorption of Everything transforms life into art with chaotic creativity. Witness Fin. – The Harbinger of Death’s first day for a darkly comedic take on existential bureaucracy, or marvel at monotony in 40 Minute Encore. Synaesthesia creates a sensory symphony of light, sound, and colour, while Introduction to Charcoal challenges perceptions with a staged life-drawing class. Detention plunges into a dystopian Dublin where history’s lies unravel, Immolation Papers brings sacrificial rites to the stage, and Sheep! uses woolly metaphors to hold a mirror to us all. These shows promise to stir the soul, spark thought, and stretch the imagination.
Want some theatrical odes: Step into stirring sagas and sensational storytelling that pay homage to human resilience, absurd adventures, and epic quests. The New Warrior embarks on a heroic journey as the son of Achilles sets out to finish what his father started. Siege humorously tackles the struggles of outwitting starvation in 1690s Ireland, while Dead Monks follows monks facing fateful decisions as Vikings descend. In Go West!, two cartographers hilariously navigate the impossible task of creating the perfect map, and The Philosopher and the Ancient God humorously chronicles an epic quest for a sandwich. Relive nostalgia with VHS: A Journey Through Personal Cinema, immersing audiences in the magic of 90s home videos, and dive into A Cruel & Uncaring God, a darkly comedic ode to the chaotic world of The Sims. These tales promise a rollercoaster of emotions—expect to laugh, cry, and cheer through these timeless theatrical treasures.
Begin at the beginning: Dive into dynamic delights and discover dazzling dialogues with our curated collection of rehearsed readings. Disturbed delivers twisted sketches spotlighting obnoxious morons, blending biting humour with brilliant absurdity. In One Giant Leap Present: Show Jumps, audiences will revel in an afternoon of new writing, each piece a polished gem in progress. Finally, Reality Check combines a comedy TV pilot reading with partial improvisation, promising an unpredictable and uproarious experience. These readings bring raw energy and fresh perspectives to the stage, inviting you to witness creativity in its most vibrant and evolving form.
It’s all about people: Explore enthralling encounters and evocative explorations of human connections in these poignant performances. Trapped humorously highlights a boss’s predicament stuck in the toilet, while Córchuimhne immerses audiences in a father and son’s shared memories through virtual reality as Gaeilge. Common Girls captures the compelling reunion of estranged roommates, and How May I Help You unravels a strange workplace occurrence. The Debutante takes us on a touching mother-daughter journey, while Proud Father, Exhausted Dad! hilariously chronicles one man’s struggle with his questionable life choices. In Forever Twenty, the profound pain of losing a loved one is tenderly explored, while Wop bop a loo bop a lop bomb om delivers an unforgettable holiday story. Finally, Do I Have to Cancel My Grandfather? dives deep into an extraordinary conversation with a deceased grandfather through his work. These shows celebrate the quirky, compelling, and cathartic essence of human experience.
But there’s more: Step into a spectrum of surprising spectacles, blending genres and pushing boundaries to delight and dazzle. The Tiny Lock-In combines sketch comedy with audience interaction, promising unpredictable hilarity. In Hivemind, you’ll connect with your phone to collaboratively solve puzzles, while Cuckcrow captivates with a contemporary opera steeped in farcical intrigue. Leonora stirs the senses with a surreal recipe for erotic dreams, and Broads packs sharp wit and unapologetic humour into a riotous one-woman show. Thrifted Spirits infuses old clothes with the haunting stories of their previous owners, and Anonn invites audiences to witness a medium connecting with actual spirits. In Combat Cabaret, you’ll laugh, cry, and brace yourself for dramatic twists, while The Vinonauts delivers a family-friendly, comic caper through 19th-century France. Expect to be enthralled, enchanted, and endlessly entertained by these eclectic experiences.
And finally, for the length of the festival, the stunning Smock Alley Banquet Hall will be home to our visual arts exhibition where a quartet of fantastic artists are showing their new works. Myra Jago’s oil paintings look at the human condition and our attitudes toward the Earth and each other, Sorca O’Farrell is inspired by place and memory as she walks along the paths and through the forests close to her home, Aisling McEntee Walsh works in abstraction where the physical act of painting becomes one with the finished piece, and Karen Ebbs explores the idea that life is not a linear procession moving directly toward a “known” set goal.
Why attend Scene + Heard 2025?
For audiences, the festival isn’t just about watching – it’s about participating. Feedback mechanisms include in-person ballots, digital forms, and direct post-show conversations. This invaluable input helps artists refine their work while offering the audience a sense of ownership in the creative process.
Whether you’re a lover of theatre, dance, comedy, music, or the undefinable in-between, this year’s festival guarantees to surprise and inspire. From reflective dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies, surreal musical experiments to gripping aerial performances, there’s something for everyone. Get ready for another unforgettable journey into the cutting edge of creativity. SCENE + HEARD 2025 invites you to witness the raw and unfiltered artistry that defines the future of performance. Don’t miss it!
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Tickets are sold in 45min time slots that will comprise of either one show, or a couple of complimentary performances.
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TICKETS: Early Bird €13 (until 4pm of show day) / On The Door €15
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VENUE: Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 8
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