News & Events

We are delighted to announce that applications are now open for COMPASS, Rough Magic’s new artist development programme. Since 2001 Rough Magic has been a pioneer of artist development in Irish theatre, through the SEEDS programme. SEEDS has been Ireland’s most comprehensive development programme over nineteen years; and now COMPASS is here to take the … Continued

Growing artists. Making plays. COMPASS is a new development programme designed to provide opportunities for artists and plays, placing both at the centre of Rough Magic’s activities. Merging artist development and core programming in a radical new structure, the programme will assist in creating a portfolio of new work for production in the years coming … Continued

Rough Magic is delighted that our SEEDS graduate and former Associate Director Sophie Motley has just been announced as Artistic Director of the Everyman Theatre in Cork. We congratulate Sophie and the Everyman on a brilliant appointment.

Rough Magic is delighted and proud that our founder member Arthur Riordan has just been elected to Aosdana, as has our colleague and collaborator Gina Moxley. Arthur’s work for Rough Magic includes The Emergency Session, Hidden Charges and of course, Improbable Frequency. We produced Gina’s first play Danti-Dan in 1995. Arthur and Gina memorably performed … Continued

Working with our brilliant partners at Kilkenny Arts Festival, we were thrilled to bring live performances to audiences at the Watergate Theatre this August with our world premiere of Solar Bones. Based on the award-winning novel by Mike McCormack, Solar Bones was adapted by Michael West, directed by Lynne Parker and starred the fantastic Stanley Townsend as … Continued

In case you missed it, you can listen back to director Lynne Parker and actor Stanley Townsend on the RTE player as they talk all things Solar Bones.

Rough Magic is delighted to announce the World Premiere of Solar Bones by Mike McCormack in an adaptation by Michael West. In partnership with Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Watergate Theatre.

We are thrilled for Rough Magicians Brian Doherty and Philip Connaughton who were winners at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards this year.

Brian Doherty won Best Actor for his performances as Agamemnon in Rough Magic’s Hecuba and as Dog in Red Kettle Theatre Company’s The Red Iron.

Congratulations also to Philip Connaughton who was awarded Best Movement Direction for his work on Rough Magic’s Much Ado About Nothing which premiered in Kilkenny Arts Festival before going on a nationwide tour of Ireland.

We are excited to announce the publication by Methuen of Rough Magic Theatre Company – New Irish Plays and Adaptations 2010-2018. Edited and with an introduction by Patrick Lonergan, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway, with a foreword from Booker Prize-winning novelist Anne Enright – this book is an exciting snapshot of contemporary … Continued

In Rough Magic’s first autumn season in 1984, I was cast as Dull Gret in Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. I wore a medieval soldier’s breastplate, which was nice. The character was based on the mad figure of a woman invading hell, as painted by Breugel the Elder. The role required me to sit on … Continued