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Dear Friend
As we come to the end of 2025, we wanted to thank all those who supported the company throughout the year – we are deeply grateful to our colleagues, patrons and audiences who help us make, sustain and experience our work.
2025 began with a ringing endorsement of the playwright. Great Plays - a series of play readings in Project Arts Centre included The Flick by Annie Baker, Pentecost by Stewart Parker, Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. We brought together a phenomenal company of actors to perform these acclaimed scripts; two of which were contemporary classics, two recent international hits new to Irish audiences, who were clearly thrilled to see these four major works.
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This year was the first of the new iteration of our SEEDS Programme. With an open call to emerging theatre collectives, and over 60 applicant companies, the wealth of talent in young theatre makers was clear in the quality of submissions. The SEEDS participants were announced in April as Arínọlá and Gift Horse - both young female-led companies. The co-ordinator for the new programme is our Associate Director Dominic O’Brien. If you are interested to see the work of these exciting companies come along to their Rough Weekend showcase 18-20 December at Project Arts Centre - grab the last few seats while you can!
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Earlier this year we were delighted to bring our 2023 Dublin Theatre Festival production of The Loved Ones by Erica Murray on a national tour to eight venues across Ireland, supported by the NASC Network and Irish Rail. Original cast members Jane Brennan, Helen Norton and Fanta Barrie reunited and were joined by long-time Rough Magician Margaret McAuliffe. The show played to full and enthusiastic houses across the country, reconnecting with audiences hungry to see work of this scale and quality.
Our long partnership with Kilkenny Arts Festival produced the world premiere of Peter Hanly’s What Are You Afraid Of? - bringing Peter joyously back on stage after more than a decade, in an investigation of his experience of stage fright. Also featuring Domhnall Herdman and Niamh McAllister, the show opened to rave reviews from critics and audiences, garnering more five-star reviews during the run at Smock Alley for the Dublin Theatre Festival. This was an exceptional piece of work by one of our most valued artists.
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Throughout the year, we continued developing our commissioned plays with workshops on Transfer by Shaun Dunne, Haven by Peter Daly and The Delirium Archive by Shane Mac an Bhaird - more news on this coming soon! We continued our ongoing artist development with support for the SEEDS companies and our associate artists, as well as partnering with the Theatre Royal on a professional development week for artists based in Waterford – where we will shortly begin work on an exciting collaboration with the acclaimed Theatre Lovett and our commissioned writer Morna Regan.
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All this activity needs support – which is why we are so grateful to our Rough Magic Patrons, who make it possible for us to achieve the ambition of our productions today and grow the theatre artists of tomorrow. If you, or anyone you know, would consider becoming a Patron you can donate through our website, or get in touch with us at fri...@roughmagic.ie. We rely on your support and endorsement more than ever - it makes a huge difference.
Thank you to all our co-producers, partners, patrons, funders, company members, and especially our audiences, for spending some of your 2025 with us – here’s to 2026!
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas
Lynne, Gemma, Sara, Clara, Karin and Dominic
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40 years of making magic has only been made possible by our brilliant and generous patrons. Your support enables us to do what we do best – growing artists, making plays.
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Rough Magic is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland
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