About
What is a butch lesbian? What do they look like? Why do they love Subarus so much? These are the questions at the heart of BUTCH, a funny, provocative and unexpectedly heartfelt new one-woman show coming to Dublin Fringe Festival this September. The play follows queer history enthusiast YD Clark as…
What is a butch lesbian? What do they look like? Why do they love Subarus so much?
These are the questions at the heart of BUTCH, a funny, provocative and unexpectedly heartfelt new one-woman show coming to Dublin Fringe Festival this
September.
The play follows queer history enthusiast YD Clark as she traces the history of gender non-conformity and highlights notable gender-benders of the past– from the ‘female husbands’ of the 17th century to the chic lesbian celebrities of the ‘90s– to see how their lives have shaped our understanding of what it means to be butch today.
Interwoven throughout are personal reflections on growing up queer and masculine, on isolation and ostracisation, on the importance of representation; based on the real-life experiences of writer and director Hannah Bevan and performer Niamhie Mullarkey. Combining a unique mix of theatrical performance, live video, and documentary footage, BUTCH is an animated and emotive queer history lesson and comedy rolled into one.
BUTCH is a play for queer history enthusiasts, for anyone open to learning more, for anyone looking for a laugh, for anyone who has felt lonely, like they don’t quite fit in with the world around them, and, of course, for butches. “The performance was very captivating, comedic yet truthful and relatable” – Audience review for BUTCH (work-in-progress) at Scene + Heard Festival of NewWork, February 2026.
BUTCH is Crithir Productions’ first show to premiere at Dublin Fringe Festival, having developed the show as part of Town Hall Theatre, Galway’s BLAS Artist Development Programme, in partnership with Galway Theatre Festival and James Riordan (Brú Theatre). BUTCH was then staged as a work-in-progress at Scene + Heard Festival of New Work in February and Galway Theatre Festival in May.
Founded by Hannah Bevan in 2024, Crithir Productions is an emerging bilingual theatre company based in Galway. Inspired by the Irish word ‘crithir’, meaning ‘a spark of fire or wit’, the company creates multidisciplinary work in unusual and ephemeral spaces, telling stories of the queer and marginalised. They are incredibly excited for Dublin audiences to see BUTCH as a full production.
BUTCH runs at Smock Alley Theatre- Boy’s School from 16–19 September 2026 as part of Dublin Fringe Festival.Tickets are on sale now! Available through the Dublin Fringe Festival and Smock Alley Theatre websites.
Prices from €14
Preview: Wed 16th, 6:30pm | Opening: Thurs 17th, 9pm | Fri 18th: 1:15pm & 9pm | Sat 19th: 1:15pm & 9pm.
