David Francis Moore is the Director of Dublin Fringe Festival, which this September celebrates 30 glorious years of bringing live performance and new artists' voices to the fore.
RTÉ Culture gave David the impossible task of choosing his Top 10 picks from the festival’s 75 events - it's fair to say there's something for everyone...
For the past three decades, Dublin Fringe Festival has been driven by a love for the new, the now, the weird and the wonderful. This year, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary edition of the festival, we offer a vivid snapshot of our times and showcase an eclectic lineup of shows from some of today's most inspiring national and international artists. We invite audiences to immerse themselves in nights brimming with laughter, unexpected twists, and perhaps even a tear or two.
We’ve managed to pack in 75 new shows with a staggering 520 performances in 29 venues across Dublin city. We have 53 world premieres, 9 Irish premieres and 7 Dublin premieres, where over 500 artists are set to take over Dublin city.
As Festival Director, it’s impossible to choose from such a large and strong festival programme, but here are ten shows you shouldn’t miss this September:
1/ DANCEHALL BLUES
CoisCéim Dance Theatre celebrate 30 years this year too with their newest production, Dacehall Blues. Its over ten years since they presented at Dublin Fringe and this new show by David Bolger investigates the blurred, vanishing line between fiction and fact.
2/ MALIGNANT HUMOUR
Hannah Gumbriell’s combo of trapeze and theatre explores the death-defying circus act that is chemotherapy, created from her own personal cancer story, in her exciting new aerial production.
3/ FIRST TRIMESTER
Krisna Istha’s exploration of human connection, parenthood, and what it means to create a family as a transgender person.
4/ AN EVENING WITH WEE DANIEL
Aoife Sweeney O’Connor's exciting new solo show brings us on an experience of a lifetime to the magic of Daniel O’Donnell live in concert... where they share a rapturous love letter to the rural queer non-binary experience and to mammies, in homage to 'our Daniel’.
5/ ROSIN EL CHERIF
- is an Irish-Palestinian artist from Galway, who creates a mesmerising fusion of Arabic and Irish musical traditions. Presented by Dublin Fringe Festival, her unique style weaves Arabic songs into mournful Irish airs, offering a poignant reflection of her dual heritage.
6/ HAM SANDWICHES AND DISCIPLINE
NAF Dance’s exciting new show welcomes a whole new audience to the theatre. Saturated with comedy, tragedy and poetic play in motion, with a wacky passion for the beautiful madness of the GAA.
7/ AFTERWARDS
Janet Moran's (with Once Off Productions) new play is set in a recovery ward of a UK abortion clinic, which spotlights the need for proper abortion care in Ireland.
8/ I’VE ALWAYS LIKED THE NAME MARCUS
– sees Matthew Sharpe with Tinderbox Theatre Co. sift through a puzzle of race and identity in this brand new play.
9/ THE MAESTRO & THE MOSQIUTA
Theatre Lovett’s first trip to Dublin Fringe – this timeless non-verbal musical tragi-comedy is by award-winning writer and director, Carmel Winters, wrapped up with an original full score by Academy Award-winner Stephen Warbeck.
10/ AN ATTEMPT TO TALK WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD
Anna Newell is is one of Ireland’s leading makers of theatre for young audiences, and she too presents at Dublin Fringe for the first time with her new immersive dance show for babies aged 3-12 months. Mummies and Daddies will delight in not having to find a baby sitter for this unique show.
The 2024 Dublin Fringe Festival runs from September 7th - 22nd - find out more here.
