Theatre Powerful in its own right, McPherson’s Girl from the North Country confirms Dylan’s geniusConor McPherson’s musical plumbs the emotional heartbeat and dramatic narrative of Bob Dylan’s songs, and will surely convince sceptics of the works’ literary power
Theatre School’s in for summer at the Bord Gáis TheatreAndrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of the 2003 Jack Black musical comedy School of Rock is rough, ready and riotous
Theatre Ulysses at 100: Drama of Joyce’s words brought to the stage for a Bloomsday celebrationSeveral theatrical productions mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses this week, among them a Barry McGovern reading and a re-enactment of the book’s trial for obscenity in the US
Theatre Sara Keating on theatre: Waitress is a playful tale powered by its musical energySara Bareilles’s play, based on the 2007 film of the same name, has almost all the ingredients for a prize-winning pie, but it’s missing something
Theatre Sara Keating: Spectacular reimagining of Frankenstein is guided by voicesBattersea Arts Centre and BAC Beatbox Academy have updated Mary Shelley’s novel into an intense experience powered entirely by the human throat
Theatre Sara Keating: Humorous one-woman confessional draws us into secret life of a nurse in 1970sAoife Martyn’s funny, intimate show Nursey traces her vocation as a healthcare provider, with great help from deft direction and imaginative lighting
Theatre Sara Keating: Constellations’ multi-layered stories reflect the chance and chaos in all our livesA series of romantic encounters leads to life or death choices in Nick Payne’s intriguing and unsettling play
Theatre Sara Keating: A once-derelict site in Dublin's North Strand is now home to a little world of family-friendly theatre Written by actors Michele Forbes and Owen Roe, Our Little World is a meditation on the natural world dressed up as a thrilling alien invasion
Sara Keating on theatre: Binchy’s old favourite runs out of steam in its second halfA new adaptation of Maeve Binchy’s 1990 bestseller Circle of Friends has plenty of nice touches, but flags well before the end
Mark O’Brien and Caitríona McLaughlin interview: ‘Theatre is not a fixed thing. It is not set in stone. It is active, always moving’The two new co-directors of the Abbey lay out their future vision for the national theatre, which they say they want to become ‘more interactive and less transactional’
Sara Keating on theatre: Jacobs-Jenkins breathes new life into Boucicault’s period pieceA lengthy but lively adaptation of an 1859 Dion Boucicault play is an arresting confrontation with political prejudices both past and present
Sara Keating on Theatre: Is Irish theatre missing an opportunity to make a sale?The demand for vintage theatrical merchandise in this country is clearly there but, with a handful of exceptions, the main players in the field show a strange reluctance to capitalise on what’s in the vaults
Patrick Martins interview: ‘I realised the shows that I was seeing at the Abbey and the Gate didn’t really represent me or people like me’The actor, who appears in the Abbey Theatre’s adaptation of Dion Boucicault’s An Octoroon, is hopeful that things are finally beginning to change in the Irish arts world allowing more opportunities for people of colour
Sara Keating on theatre: Recreating the revolutionary history of a Rathfarnham parkSmashing Times Theatre Company tells the stories of some of the famous historical figures, such as Padraig Pearse, associated with St Enda’s Park
Dublin City Council considering opening new 500 seat venue in city centreCity arts officer also suggested that proposed cultural centre at Bridgefoot St could cost €16 million — €5 million higher than the cost suggested when the plan was first announced
Sara Keating on Theatre: The Examination – powerful and provocative theatre that forces viewers to face their prejudicesThis is theatre at its best, challenging and encouraging the audience to think differently about crime, justice and the individuals caught in the system
Actor Charlie Murphy on returning to Happy Valley, her new sci-fi show and the legacy of Love/HateThe Wexford actor is anything but predictable, as her upcoming projects prove
Sara Keating on theatre: A millennials’ casual romp has plenty of hidden depthsHarry Butler’s Changing the Sheets is a lively and fascinating look at hook-up culture
Sara Keating on theatre: Performed in exile, a Belarusian dystopian play is now all too real Dogs of Europe, performed by Belarus Free Theatre, has become a call to action against Russian aggression
Sara Keating on theatre: How Ireland’s National Theatre is embracing the idea of an all-island cultural identityOver its 118 years, the Abbey Theatre has reflected Irish society through its art and it continues to do so today, with its newly appointed directors embracing an all-Ireland approach