Shibboleth
The title of Stacey Gregg’s new play refers to a custom or belief that distinguishes a group. In Northern Ireland there are many such shibboleths, such as whether the city is Derry or Londonderry. A peace wall is being built and the action is firmly located on one side of it, but Gregg doesn’t include the shibboleths to let us know which side. In Northern Irish accents, the labourers speak of “us uns” and “them uns”. The audience doesn’t know on what basis this distinction is made.
Tolerance is tested further on the building site. Alan (Andy Kellegher) has a 10-year-old son who wears his mother’s heels around the house. A co-worker has been sacked and a Polish builder hired in his place. As in Owen McCafferty’s Quietly, immigration is the post-Troubles conflict.
Shibboleth is great on male anger, manifesting itself through paralysis, dancing, drinking and violence. When the issue becomes too big for one play to address, the narrative breaks down and an actor reads from the script.
Substance remains paramount in Gregg’s drama, but the numerous stylistic flourishes struggle to confine themselves to supporting roles.
Eithne Shortall
Peacock at Abbey, Dublin, Tue-Sat 8pm, €13-€20, 01 878 7222
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Drama
Belfast
■ The Great Hunger
Theatrical performance of Patrick Kavanagh’s poem.
Island Arts Centre, Fri 8pm, £10-£12 028 9250 9254
■ Hallo
Starring Swiss choreographer Martin Zimmermann.
Mac, Fri-Sat 7.45pm, £14 028 9023 5053
■ Henry V
Screening of Royal Shakespeare Company production.
Theatre at the Mill, Wed 7pm, £18-£20 028 9034 0202
■ Jimeoin
Is It?! show.
Waterfront, Sat 7pm & 9.30pm, £25 028 9033 4400
■ The Merchant of Venice
Staged by C21 Theatre Company.
Grand Opera House, Tue-Sat 7pm; Wed 1.30pm, Thu-Fr 10.30pm, Sat 2pm, £8-£13.50 028 9024 1919
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■ The Night Alive
Conor McPherson drama.
Lyric, Tue-Sat 7.45pm, today & Sat 2.30pm, £15-£26.50 028 9038 1081
Cork
■ How to Keep an Alien
Written and performed by Sonya Kelly.
Everyman Palace, Mon-Wed 8pm, €9-€18 021 450 1673
■ The Shakespeare Schools Programme
Performances of King Lear and Romeo and Juliet.
Firkin Crane, Mon 9.30pm, 12.10pm; 1pm, 3pm; €12-€18 021 450 7487
■ 10 x 10 Play Event
Ten short plays.
Cork Arts Theatre, Tue-Sat 8pm, €10 021 450 5624
Derry
■ Josef Locke – A Grand Adventure
Musical theatre work directed by Kieran Griffiths.
Millennium Forum, Fri-Sat 8pm, £16 028 7126 4455
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■ The Addams Family Musical
Musical comedy.
Riverside, Fri-Sat 8pm, Sat 3pm, £13-£19.50 028 7012 3123
Dublin
■ Are You Havin’ a Laugh?
Written and performed by Peter Sheridan.
Viking, Clontarf, Mon-Sat 8pm, €12 087 112 9970
■ Are You There, Garth? It’s Me, Margaret
Starring Deirdre O’Kane.
Gaiety, today & Tue-Sat 7.30pm, today & Sat 2.30pm, €19.65-€45 0818 719 388
■ Contractions
Mike Bartlett play.
Bewley’s Café Theatre, Mon-Sat 1pm, €8-€12 086 878 4001
■ Going Spare
Humorous drama by Siobhán Donnellan.
Theatre Upstairs, Tue-Sat 7pm, Wed & Sat 1pm, €8-€10 085 772 7375
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■ King Lear
Directed by Geoff O’Keeffe.
Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Mon-Fri 10am, Tue 1.30pm, Wed-Thu 7.30pm, €14 01 296 9340
■ The Man in the Woman’s Shoes
Written and performed by Mikel Murfi.
Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire, Sat 8pm, €16-€18 01 231 2929
■ Mrs Shakespeare
Written by Ian Wild.
Smock Alley, Thu-Sat 8pm, Sat 2pm, €8-€12 01 677 0014
■ Oedipus
New version by Wayne Jordan.
Abbey, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Wed & Sat 2pm, €13-€45 01 8787 222
■ Olympia
Adapted by Nora Kelly Lester and Lauren Shannon Jones.
New Theatre, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, €12-€15 01 670 3361
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■ Ragús The Homecoming
Musical theatre show.
Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Thu 7.30pm, €25-€35 0818 719 377
■ Vernon God Little
Adaptation of DBC Pierre satire.
Civic, Thu-Fri 8pm, €18-€20 01 462 7477
■ A View from the Bridge
Arthur Miller play directed by Joe Dowling.
Gate, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, €25-€35 01 874 4045
Kerry
■ Emma
Adaptation of Jane Austen novel.
St John’s Theatre, Listowel, Wed 8pm, 068 225 66
■ Snow Child
By Emma Reeves.
Siamsa Tire, Tralee, Sat noon & 3pm, €6 066 7123 055
Leitrim
■ A Night to Remember/Can I make Love to my Girlfriend
Two one-act plays by Breffni Players.
The Dock, Carrick-on-Suir, Wed-Thu 8.30pm, €15 071 965 0828
Limerick
■ The Playboy of the Western World
Presented by Blue Raincoat Theatre Company.
Lime Tree Theatre, Wed 8pm, €16-€18 061 774 774
Longford
■ Ssh! We Have a Plan
Based on Chris Houghton’s book.
Backstage, Thu 7pm, €5 043 3347 888
Festival
Galway
■ Vodafone Comedy Carnival
Including Dylan Moran, Phill Jupitus and Al Porter.
Galway, various venues, Tue-Sat, 091 509 960