Fishamble are proud to present a selection of tiny plays submitted from its recent writing challenge. TINY PLAYS 24/7 will be presented online for audiences to enjoy, and will be a combination of pieces performed on the O’Reilly Theatre stage and multimedia pieces created digitally.
 
The performances will premiere online on Friday 24 July, and will be available to view online for one week after. 

During the past few months, Fishamble, and the Irish artistic community, has been working hard to keep imaginations lively, communities engaged, and most of all offer people the opportunity of communication through creative expression. Fishamble wanted people to keep their creativity flowing by challenging people in Ireland and around the world, to write 600 word Tiny Plays.
 
From March to April, Fishamble set this challenge for residents of Ireland and the Irish abroad, with a weekly prompts of COMMUNITY, NATURE, TRADE, and ESSENTIAL. Fishamble then opened this challenge out to the rest of the world in May, asking people to respond to the prompt of CHANGE. Fishamble was delighted to receive over 470 submissions in total for the #TinyPlayChallenge, and published a selection of the Tiny Plays at www.fishamble.com/tinyplaychallenge, in addition to sending a prize of Fishamble playscripts to the chosen writers.
 
As Ireland begins to ease out of its lockdown, and as Irish theatre begins to look towards a new future, Fishamble is proud to announce that it will be presenting a selection of submitted plays, on 24th July. TINY PLAYS 24/7 will be presented online, it will be a combination of pieces performed on the O’Reilly Theatre stage and filmed, as well as multimedia pieces created digitally. 

The pieces will premiere online on 24th July at 7pm, and we encourage audiences to join us for the premiere by registering through eventbrite.ie at https://bit.ly/TinyPlays247 (free to view, donations would be greatly appreciated). The performances will then be available to watch for a week following on Fishamble’s YouTube channel.
 
The pieces will be directed by Jim Culleton, and filmed by Jeda de Brí, the creative team includes Carl Kennedy (Sound design), John Gunning (Lighting Design), and Maree Kearns (costume design).

Cast to date includes, Kwaku Fortune, Gill Buckle, Fionn Foley, Genevieve Hulme Beaman, Denise Gough, Rory Nolan, Clare Barrett, Eleanor Methven, Marty Rea, Pat Kinevane, Mary Murray, Caitriona Ennis, Leah Minto, John Olohan, Catherine Byrne, Jack Olohan, Eileen Walsh, Aaron Monaghan, Clare Monnelly. Further names to be announced. 

'I am delighted that we will present performances during the first week that theatres can reopen, on 24/7, and for a week afterwards, of a small selection of Tiny Plays. We hope that this will share how people responded to the pandemic and the restrictions of the past three months, explore some solutions that theatre artists have been finding to stage work, and celebrate the very beginning of being back in theatre buildings for live, socially-distanced performances.' Jim Culleton, Artistic Director of Fishamble
 
The selected plays and playwrights included are:
·         Martyrs by Caitríona Daly
·         War Paint by Conor Hanratty
·         Kiss of Death by Lora Hartin
·         Bear Hunt by Grace Lobo
·         For How Janelle Monáe Once Made Me Feel by Julia Marks
·         Ragnarok by Ryan Murphy
·         The Wonder of You by Eric O ‘Brien
·         Change by Patrick O'Laoghaire
·         Just Because They're Birds by Maria Popovic
·         Wild Horses by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
 

Press information: Sinead O’Doherty, O’Doherty Communications 086 259 1070  sinead@odohertycommunications.com

​Fishamble is delighted to announce that Colleen Savage has joined the Fishamble Board. Colleen is director of Savage Strategy, a strategic business and communications consultancy, working with clients in both the public and private sector.  She graduated with a degree in economics from Trinity College Dublin, and a Masters in international development studies from University College Dublin.  She has served as a board member of the National Consumers agency (now CPCC) and the National Audit and Oversight Commission for Local Government.  She is a keen supporter of the arts and cultural community in Ireland.

​ 
Will you take on the Tiny Play Challenge? 

Fishamble invites anyone around the world write their own 600 word Tiny Play responding to the prompt of Change.
 
Would you welcome the challenge of exploring your thoughts and feelings through drama? Do you have a dramatic story that you feel the urge to work out for yourself, and maybe share with your fellow global citizens?
 
Fishamble: The New Play company wants people to keep their creativity flowing by challenging people, world-wide, to write 600 word Tiny Plays.
 
Fishamble, alongside many of its colleagues in the wider Irish artistic community, is working hard to keep imaginations lively, communities engaged and most of all offer people the opportunity of communication through creative expression. 
 
For the past 4 weeks, Fishamble set this challenge for residents of Ireland and the Irish abroad, with a weekly prompt. So far hundreds of Tiny Plays have been submitted, responding to the prompts of COMMUNITY, NATURE, TRADE, and ESSENTIAL. Fishamble has published a selection of the Tiny Plays at www.fishamble.com/tinyplaychallenge, and sent a prize of Fishamble playscripts to the chosen writers.
 
Fishamble is now very pleased to announce that the final iteration of the #TinyPlayChallenge will be open to everyone, of all ages, anywhere in the world.
This time Fishamble is asking people to respond to the prompt of CHANGE.
 
The submission window will open on Thursday 23 Apr and close on Friday 8 May. Fishamble will publish a selection of these plays on the website on Friday 15 May. Fishamble will also be sharing tips on writing Tiny Plays on their social media in the coming weeks.
 
'As we live through these strange times, Fishamble is finding further ways to continue to engage with artists and the public. The Tiny Play Challenge is intended to stimulate people to use their creativity to give shape to new experiences, and we have been thrilled with the response so far. 

'For the final challenge, we are extending the invitation to submit a play to anyone, of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. 

'In the end the company believes that the role of drama is to allow people to reflect deeply on and to share the human experience. After all, we are all in this together. We think the world needs to talk to itself.'
- Jim Culleton, Artistic Director, Fishamble.

We are so delighted to wake up to the wonderful news that our Artistic Director Jim Culleton has won Best Director, and Denis Clohessy has won Best Soundscape, for The Alternative by Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney, at The Irish Times Theatre Awards supported by TileStyle!

This play was presented by Fishamble: The New Play Company in association with Draiocht Blanchardstown, The Everyman, The Lime Tree Theatre/ Belltable, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Pavilion Theatre and Town Hall Theatre Galway, and supported by Tesco Ireland Finest and Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail. Denis Clohessy also won Best Soundscape for THE EXAMINATION and IIN OUR VEINS. 

A huge congratulations to all the nominees, especially Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney, for their wonderful new play.

Thank you to our funders Arts Council Ireland, Dublin City Council, and Culture Ireland, for supporting all our work.

Congrats again everyone, and thank you!

Keep your creativity flowing. Send us your 600 word Tiny Play!

In these challenging times, Fishamble - along with many of our colleagues in the wider Irish artistic community - is working hard to keep imaginations lively, communities engaged - and most of all offer people the opportunity of creative expression.
 
Would you welcome the challenge of exploring your thoughts and feelings through drama? Do you have a dramatic story that you feel the urge to work out for yourself, and maybe share with your fellow citizens?

Please send us your Tiny Plays - see guidelines below.

You can absolutely write according to your own impulse, but each week we'll give you a word-of-the-week to serve as a prompt.

Every week, for a month, Fishamble will publish a selection of three to five tiny plays on its website for the public to read.

The writers of those plays will receive a selection of three Fishamble playscripts.

Criteria
- Plays must be 600 words or less
- They must be submitted through this online form, along with your details
- You do not need any playwriting experience to take part
- Plays may be in Irish, English or any other language if a translation is provided
- You must be prepared for your play to be shared with the public online 
- Two plays per person per week maximum
- This challenge is open to anyone resident on the island of Ireland and any Irish citizen currently abroad
- Current employees and family of Fishamble are not eligible to submit

The weekly deadline will be noon on Thursdays. Chosen plays will be on our website and announced at noon on Fridays, with the new weekly prompt shared at 5pm on Fridays. 

In light of the Government’s recent recommendations regarding COVID-19, and the Arts Council's guidelines, Fishamble will be taking a number of measures to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of its staff, artists, and audiences.

All shows in Ireland programmed until 12 April will be postponed until further notice. We are working closely with our partner venues and festivals, and will announce revised plans for this touring work in due course. Our London run of On Blueberry Hill has also been postponed, as UK theatres work with government recommendations on how to move forward. 

In line with social distancing measures, we are in discussion with artists about either postponing meetings and workshops, or holding these online or by phone, as appropriate. We will also be in touch with members of the public enrolled for our upcoming playwriting course, beginning in mid-April, and will be happy to reimburse fees or defer places to a later course, if required.

Fishamble is committed to supporting our artists in many ways, including financially. All participants in in our development programmes, and artists in our cancelled/postponed shows, will be paid, as contracted.

We believe that, in times like these, creative organisations are ready to have creative solutions! We will be sharing resources, performance clips, and as much creative content as possible over the coming weeks, so that you can continue to engage with Fishamble through our digital platforms.

In the meantime, stay safe, and we look forward to updating you soon.

From Jim, Eva, Gavin, Chandrika, and Ronan.

​Fishamble will offer its very first Dramaturgy Development Programme in June 2020.

120 new plays are produced on average on the island of Ireland every year. One of the key elements of these new works is the creative dramaturgical input to make the best possible works for the public. Fishamble seeks to support the development of, and conversation about, dramaturgy, in order to help practitioners deepen their craft for the benefit of the sector.
 
Aims:
- to enlarge discussion of role and function of new work dramaturgy.
- For participants to develop their practice through discussion.
- For participants to gain concrete thoughts about one project that they are working on.

Dates:
Applications open, 20th March.
Applications close, 10th April.

This programme is supported by

Fishamble are delighted that Fishamble's The Alternative by Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney is nominated in 3 categories for this year's Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards:

• Jim Culleton, nominated for Best Director for The Alternative
• The Alternative, nominated for Best New Play
• Denis Clohessy, nominated for Best Soundscape for The Alternative

​
THE ALTERNATIVE was the product of Fishamble's 2-year programmme A Play For Ireland, and was produced in association with Draiocht, Belltable/The Lime Tree Theatre, The Everyman, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Pavilion Theatre, and Town Hall Theatre Galway.

The programme and production were supported by Tesco Finest, with transportation partner Irish Rail.

And of course, our work would not be possible without the support of Arts Council Ireland. Thank you to everyone who supported this production, and of course our brilliant creative team. And enormous congrats to all the nominees!

Fishamble: The New Play Company brings its production of On Blueberry Hill by Sebastian Barry to London's West End in Spring 2020!

Following hugely successful and sell-out seasons in Dublin and New York City, Fishamble’s critically acclaimed production of Sebastian Barry’s new play opens at London’s Trafalgar Studios on 5 March for a strictly limited season until 2 May. This production of On Blueberry Hill was originally produced by Fishamble and will be produced in the West End by Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Fishamble.

Reprising their roles as Christy and PJ are Irish Times Theatre Award and Olivier Award winner Niall Buggy and West End and Broadway star David Ganly. Directed by Fishamble’s Olivier-Award winning Jim Culleton, this new play is bursting with humanity, as it explores forgiveness, survival and, ultimately, love.

In Barry’s beautiful style, On Blueberry Hill features best of friends and worst of enemies Christy (Niall Buggy) and PJ (David Ganly), who are destined to share their lives for twenty years. As the two men reflect on the hope and torment of life outside - they slowly uncover the events that have led them to their world with explosive, bittersweet consequences.

"So happy to hear the splendid news that the truly brilliant work of Niall Buggy, David Ganly, director Jim Culleton and all the crew at Fishamble, will be seen at the fabulous Trafalgar Studios. We all longed for a further life for characters Christy and PJ, holed up in Mountjoy Jail, and now here it is, wonderfully, in very best style."
Sebastian Barry

The production is designed by Sabine Dargent, with lighting design by Mark Galione, sound design and composition by Denis Clohessy and is produced for Fishamble by Eva Scanlan. 

On Blueberry Hill was developed and produced in 2017 and 2019 with the support of Arts Council Ireland, and has toured internationally to the CCI in Paris and 59E59 Theaters as part of 1st Irish in New York, with the support of Culture Ireland.