The Abbey Theatre presents #Dear Ireland

A national conversation led by Ireland’s artists
50 writers, 50 actors

What do we want to be to one another?

What do we want our society to look like?

What are we not paying enough attention to?

Where do we want to go next?

What should Ireland write on a postcard to itself? 

In the theatre community we physically come together to create and share our work. The social distancing in place at the moment stops us from doing this, but this will not stop us creating opportunities to hear and share Ireland’s artistic voice.

We commissioned writers from Ireland, with unique additional contributions from the USA, China and Italy, to each write a monologue, to be performed by 50 actors, and then streamed on our YouTube channel.

Each writer nominated one actor to perform their piece, and the actors are self-taping their performances from social isolation.

The 100 artists involved in Dear Ireland are listed below.

Acclaimed Irish artist Maser was also commissioned to respond to the Dear Ireland call and his beautiful artwork is being used for the visuals online, and will be woven through the films.

Composer Ray Harman has also contributed to Dear Ireland, with his music underscoring various elements of this digital project.

#DearIreland

Dear Ireland

The Abbey Theatre has commissioned 50 writers from Ireland, with unique additional contributions from the USA, China and Italy, to each write a monologue, to be performed by 50 actors.

Each writer nominated an actor to perform their piece, who will self-tape their performances from social isolation.

Launch Dates

Dear Ireland will be released over 4 days. The monologues will be live streamed in four parts at 7.30pm IST from Tues 28 April, Wed 29 April, Thurs 30 April and Fri 1 May on the Abbey Theatre’s YouTube channel.

Credits
Writer: Blindboy
Writer: Dermot Bolger
Writer: Pom Boyd
Writer: Sinéad Burke
Writer: TKB (Thommas Kane Byrne)
Writer: Dylan Coburn Gray
Writer: Karen Cogan
Writer: John Connors
Writer: Kit de Waal
Writer: Shaun Dunne
Writer: Iseult Golden
Writer: Stacey Gregg
Writer: Sarah Hanly
Writer: Nancy Harris
Writer: David Ireland
Writer: Colm Keegan
Writer: Sonya Kelly
Writer: Deirdre Kinahan
Writer: Emmet Kirwan
Writer: Darach Mac Con Iomaire
Writer: Manchán Magan
Writer: Aoife Martyn
Writer: Owen McCafferty
Writer: Rosaleen McDonagh
Writer: Frank McGuinness
Writer: Meadhbh McHugh (New York)
Writer: Una McKevitt
Writer: Phillip McMahon
Writer: Andrea Molino (Italy)
Writer: Gina Moxley
Writer: Jimmy Murphy
Writer: Zoe Ní Riordáin
Writer: Edna O’Brien
Writer: Eva O’Connor
Writer: Joseph O’Connor
Writer: John O’Donovan
Writer: Mark O’Halloran
Writer: Jody O’Neill
Writer: Shane O’Reilly
Writer: Felicia 'Felispeaks' Olusanya
Writer: Margaret Perry
Writer: Ursula Rani Sarma
Writer: Arthur Riordan
Writer: Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
Writer: Abbie Spallen
Writer: Keith James Walker
Writer: Enda Walsh
Writer: Michael West
Writer: Carmel Winters
Writer: Zhu Yi (China)
Actor: Cathy Belton
Actor: Andrew Bennett
Actor: Dawn Bradfield
Actor: Amanda Coogan
Actor: Nicola Coughlan
Actor: Timmy Creed
Actor: Bríd Criomhthain
Actor: Zara Devlin
Actor: Mark Doherty
Actor: Deirdre Donnelly
Actor: Mike Donnelly
Actor: Ashleigh Dorrell
Actor: Caoilfhionn Dunne
Actor: Clare Dunne
Actor: Graham Earley
Actor: Sorcha Fox
Actor: Eva-Jane Gaffney
Actor: Denise Gough
Actor: Brendan Gleeson
Actor: Peter Gowen
Actor: Julia Gu
Actor: Breffni Holahan
Actor: Seána Kerslake
Actor: Katherine Lynch
Actor: Conor MacNeill
Actor: Amy McAllister
Actor: Owen McDonnell
Actor: Lucianne McEvoy
Actor: Abigail McGibbon
Actor: Siobhán McSweeney
Actor: Leah Minto
Actor: Deirdre Molloy
Actor: David Moss
Actor: Marie Mullen
Actor: Bríd Ní Neachtain
Actor: Rory Nolan
Actor: Eoin O Dubhghaill
Actor: Kathy Rose O'Brien
Actor: Marion O’Dwyer
Actor: Jolene O’Hara
Actor: Patrick O’Kane
Actor: Clare O'Malley
Actor: Marty Rea
Actor: Ericka Roe
Actor: Owen Roe
Actor: Camille Lucy Ross
Actor: Norma Sheahan
Actor: Joan Sheehy
Actor: Stanley Townsend
Actor: Eleanor Walsh
Music by: Ray Harman