Theatre
Damien Dempsey puts his personal journey in the frame
The singer-songwriter’s haunting production Tales from the Holywell invites the audience to partake in an almost religious reflection on his childhood and life as an Irish musician
“I don’t write hits, I write healers,” professes Damien Dempsey in the opening moments of Tales from the Holywell, a “sacred singsong” being staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The performance is sculpted from personal reminiscences, interspersed with well-known numbers from his considerable back catalogue.
The singer-songwriter first came to attention with his 1997 single Dublin Town, which showcased his fresh, folk-inflected perspective on social and political disaffection among the urban youth. He has ...