Abbey Theatre unveil new virtual Theatre piece Dear Ireland

The Abbey Theatre have revealed the artists creating new virtual theatre that will be streamed online later this month.

Dear Ireland is a collection of work written by 50 writers and performed by 50 artists.

During a time when the public and theatre community can’t come together physically, the theatre has come up with a innovative way to create new work for all to enjoy.

Writers from Ireland, with additional contribution from the USA, China and Italy, have been commissioned to write a monologue to be performed by 50 actors and then streamed on Abbey Theatre’s YouTube Channel

The actors, nominated by each writer to perform their piece, have taped their performance themselves while in social isolation.

Dear Ireland will premiere online later this month. Released over 4 days, the monologues will be screened in four parts at 7.30pm from Tuesday 28 April to Friday 1 May on The Abbey Theatre YouTube channel

Meanwhile, renowned Irish artist Maser was commissioned to design artwork to be used as visuals online throughout the films.

In a statement, Graham McLaren and Neil Murray, Directors of The Abbey Theatre said: “The Abbey Theatre is more than the walls which house its productions, and the work of Ireland’s national theatre responds and will continue to reflect the challenges being faced by Irish society.

We are artist-led and audience-focused and, in this profoundly historic period for Ireland, we have brought together the voices of 100 artists to provoke a creative conversation with the nation.

In addition to making new art for audiences, we felt it was important to act fast, to document this moment artistically, whilst helping theatre makers financially, a community which has been greatly impacted by the closure, cancellation or postponement of many artistic projects. 

We want to sincerely thank these artists, who have embarked upon this project at a rapid pace, with open minds and brave hearts in pressurized and exceptional circumstances. Along with playwrights writing from all over Ireland, we are also honoured to include an Irish playwright writing from New York and a playwright from, respectively, China and Italy. We hope Dear Ireland will be a provocation for dialogue, reflection and entertainment.

Writers and actors involved are:

• 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: Tim 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

Now it’s time to set that reminder for April 28 in your diary and get ready to watch some great work delivered to directly to you at home!