The Arts Review​

Derbhle Crotty in visions by Eoghan Quinn. Image Patricio Cassinoni ** A hallmark of Dublin Theatre Festival 2026 has been round-the-table read-throughs lazily insinuating themselves into several productions. Radio Bette, Animals and now Eoghan Quinn’s everything and the kitchen sink, visions. A guided meditation on Dublin then and now not to be undertaken while driving. Quinn’s storytelling memory play in three theatrical acts divided into a rehearsal read-through, followed

Sharon Carty in Testament. Image, Pat Redmond *** Talk about life imitating art. Gathered outside the Gaiety Theatre for the Dublin premiere of Irish National Opera's Testament, composed by Tarik O'Regan with libretto by Colm Tóibín, a small pond of placards protested against its alleged blasphemy. Adapted from Tóibín's novella The Testament of Mary, Testament asks who created the Marian narrative and why? Could a very human Mary have been silenced if her story didn't toe the

Liz FitzGibbon and Manus Halligan in Animals. Image, Ros Kavanagh **** Talk about contentious. For acolytes, Animals is the best thing since sliced bread. For heathens, it'll just about pass as stale toast. Neutrals likely to fall into either camp. Based on seven stories from the critically acclaimed short fiction of Blindboy Boatclub, adapted and directed by Dan Colley, Animals has a relationship with truth, facts and reality that is never entirely stable, whatever truth, fa