on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage
As part of the New Works Fall Festival
Featuring Readings of New Plays, Spotlighting Northern Irish Voices
By Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney
Directed by Nicola Murphy Dubey
With Ruth Kavanagh, Sean Gormley, Hamish Allan Headley, Johnny Hopkins, Elise Kibler, Kevin Oliver Lynch, Clare O’Malley
Monday, November 4 at 7pm
What if Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom? What if Home Rule had passed? What if there was no War of Independence? No Civil War? No partition? What if the island had only one soccer team? The year is 2019 and it is the eve of the Referendum. British Prime Minister Ursula Lysaght is returning to her hometown of Dublin to convince voters to Remain. With the threat of chaos in the streets, and personal conflict behind the scenes, the final debate is set to begin at BBC Dublin: Should Ireland leave the UK?
The Alternative was the winner of Fishamble’s A Play For Ireland initiative.
Reviews:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“An irreverent, hugely entertaining political satire that brilliantly reflects Ireland right here, right now.” — The Sunday Times
★ ★ ★ ★
“Bitingly current… fantastically provocative drama… Its invention shines out in a festival lineup” — The Financial Times
★ ★ ★ ★
“hugely entertaining… One of the cleverest, funniest, Irish political comedies in recent years.” — The Arts Review
“a highlight of the year… Everything about the show is first rate… stroke of brilliance… very funny. Do not miss this show” — Irish Independent
Irish Repertory Theatre’s New Play Development Program includes table reads, staged readings, workshops and commissions from voices that fulfill Irish Rep’s mission and tell stories of Irish and Irish-American people of all races, genders, abilities, and orientations. Following the success of the inaugural New Works Fall Festival spotlighting LGBTQ+ voices in June 2023, and the New Works Fall Festival spotlighting female voices last November, we’re delighted to announce four new play readings spotlighting voices from the North of Ireland. This program enables us to hear new work aloud with an audience and discover new plays and musicals for possible future production.
