“Do you all have your voting papers?” is an unusual question to be asked before the lights dim, but Home, written by Megan O’Malley, is an unusual play. At the end, the audience is asked to judge a young student, Anna, who has defied a High Court injunction — shades of the X case of 1992. Morally, she’s on trial for having an abortion. Admittedly the script is slightly biased but the glimpse it provides into the world of Tinder, sexting, shots, blackouts and rape is savagely truthful. “I made a mistake, I got drunk, I blacked out — I just want it to go away,” cries Anna, played by O’Malley with a fine performance that prioritises authenticity over propaganda. Directed by Fiona Frawley, the play charts Anna’s disastrous Tinder date with Mike (Gordon Quigley), who plies her with drink until she is comatose. The result is a pregnancy and a court case, but it’s not the man who’s on trial. At times the hectic, flashback structure overwhelms the narrative. But the cast, which also includes Gemma Kane and Ethan Dillon, harness an exceptional honesty so that, however we vote, no one really wins.
New Theatre, Dublin, 7.30pm, Mon-Sat, €12.50-€16, thenewtheatre.com
Drama: the best of what's on this week
BELFAST
After the End
By Dennis Kelly. Lyric, Thu-Sat 8pm, Fri 2.45pm, £12-£14 lyrictheatre.co.uk
Blood Brothers
Willy Russell musical. Grand Opera House, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thu 2pm, Sat 2.30pm, £12.50-£44.25 goh.co.uk
Chopping Chillies
Written and performed by Clair Whitefield. Island Arts Centre, Fri 8pm, £12-£14 islandartscentre.com
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The Love Hungry Farmer
Starring Des Keogh. Mac, Thu-Sat 7.45pm, £12.50-£25 themaclive.com
Trainspotting
Adapted by Harry Gibson. Waterfront, Tue-Sat 8pm, Thu-Sat 8.45pm, £15-£25 waterfront.co.uk
CORK
Dead Certain
By Marcus Lloyd. Cork Arts Theatre, Thu-Sat 8pm, €12-€15 corkartstheatre.com
How it Is: Part One
Adaptation of Beckett novel. Everyman, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, €15-€27 everymancork.com
Punk Rock
Simon Stephens drama. Granary, Thu-Sat 8pm, €10-€15 granary.ie
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DERRY
Dumped Divorcee Support Group
Comic drama. Millennium Forum, Wed-Sat 8pm, £12.50-£18 millenniumforum.co.uk
My Fair Lady
Staged by Ballywillan Drama Group. Riverside, Tue-Sat 8pm, Sat 2.15pm, £12-£20 ulster.ac.uk/riverside
DONEGAL
Neil Delamere
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Pensioner show. An Grianan, Letterkenny, Fri 8pm, €25 angrianan.com
DUBLIN
The Approach
By Mark O’Rowe. Project, previews Thu-Sat 7.30pm, €25 projectartscentre.ie
Keith Barry
Magic Madhouse show. Olympia, Fri-Sat 8pm, €30-€31 olympia.ie
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Class
By Iseult Golden and David Horan. Peacock, Mon-Sat 8pm, Wed & Sat 2.30pm, €20-€25 abbeytheatre.ie
The Collector
Adaptation of John Fowles’s novel. Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Thu-Fri 8pm, €16-€18 milltheatre.ie
From Under the Bed
Written by Seamus O’Rourke. Viking, Clontarf, Mon-Sat 8pm, €15 vikingtheatredublin.com
Mark Nelson
Award-winning Scottish comedian. Laughter Lounge, Thu-Sat 7pm, €26 laughterlounge.com
Look Back in Anger
John Osborne play. Gate, previews Thu-Sat 7.30pm, €25 gatetheatre.ie
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Looking Deadly
Written and performed by Niamh McGrath and Keith Singleton. Bewley’s Café Theatre, Mon-Sat 1pm, €8-€12 bewleyscafetheatre.com
Sive
Druid production of John B Keane play. Gaiety, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm, from €18.50 gaietytheatre.ie
Take Off Your Cornflakes
With Rose Henderson and Pat Nolan. Dolmen, Cornelscourt, Mon-Sat 8pm, €15 dolmentheatre.ie
Walkinstown
Staged by Monkey Backstage. Smock Alley, today-Sat 8pm, today & Sat 3pm, €12-€15 smockalley.com
The Wizard of Oz
Holding Court Theatre production. Axis, Ballymun, today 2.30pm, €7-€10 axisballymun.ie
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The 24 Hour Plays: Dublin
Six short plays. Abbey, today 7.30pm, €45-€120 abbeytheatre.ie
GALWAY
Drinking in America
Eric Bogosian play. Town Hall Theatre, Fri 8pm, €16-€18 tht.ie
LAOIS
Greyhound on Train
Staged by Carnation Theatre. Dunamaise, Port Laoise, Thu 7.30pm dunamaise.ie
LIMERICK
Back to the 80s
Musical. Lime Tree Theatre, Thu-Fri 8pm, €12-€15 limetreetheatre.ie
Macbeth
Staged by Icarus. University Concert Hall, Fri 9.30am & 1.30pm, €13 uch.ie
Short Forms
Presented by Theatre de la Pire Espèce. Belltable, Thu 8pm, €10 limetreetheatre.ie
LONGFORD
See the Light of Day
Written and directed by Liam Finnegan. Backstage, Sat 8pm, €12-€15 backstage.ie
WEXFORD
Brighton
By Jim Nolan. Wexford Arts Centre, Thu-Sat 8pm, €12-€14 wexfordartscentre.ie
Dara Ó Briain
Voice Of Reason show. National Opera House, Sat 8pm, €30 nationaloperahouse.ie