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About Us
Rough Magic is a national, independent theatre company, delivering a comprehensive programme of new Irish writing, reimagined classics, and contemporary international plays, to audiences across Ireland and beyond. Our work is expansive, playful and whatever its form, focused on the moment. Rough Magic provides an unexpected angle to the mainstream and an anchor to the emerging generation.
Over four decades, Rough Magic has established itself as a creative entity and a valued institution; operating as an ensemble across the spectrum of scale and style, offering fresh perspectives and engaging audiences with the qualities that define us – wit, subversion, intellectual rigour, and free artistic expression. Since its foundation in 1984, Rough Magic has produced 142 shows, including 44 World premieres and 26 Irish premieres.
The company is an industry pioneer in artist development, notably through our SEEDS programme for emerging artists, through which many leading theatre makers were introduced to the industry. We believe in showcasing and platforming theatre practitioners at all stages, supporting them to take artistic risks.
Our COMPASS strategy is designed to seek out, commission, develop and produce an ambitious programme of new plays and adaptations by emerging and established writers, collaborating with producing partners across Ireland to reach greater audiences and new destinations.
Awards include: a record number of four Irish Times Theatre Awards for Best Production (Copenhagen, Improbable Frequency, The Taming of the Shrew, Don Carlos); London Time Out Award; two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards and the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Ensemble for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Most recently Rough Magic’s production of Solar Bones won Best Actor for Stanley Townsend and Best Director for Lynne Parker at the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
Rough Magic is proudly supported by the Arts Council.