The Homecoming Of Joseph Grace
Once Off Productions and Cork Midsummer Festival, in association with Pavilion Theatre
A tender, disarming and unexpected new drama by Deirdre Kinahan (The Saviour, Tempesta).
A man sits by a body of water. His once good suit hangs loosely now on his bones. It is dawn. The early boat he has travelled on has just docked and his fellow bleary eyed passengers disembark, swarming towards the city. In this near empty place he sits, unwilling or unable to set proper foot on Irish soil.
Not just a play of what was, or what is, and wrapped in longing and separation, this is a meticulous and devastatingly vivid portrayal of a life lived in extraordinary circumstances.
As we sit with Joseph in an Irish ferry terminal, we sit with every refugee and every citizen of the world who is forced to flee in search of peace, happiness, love, home.
Running from 12 — 20 June at the Cork Midsummer Festival. Book tickets on their website.
Refuge
“All war… it starts with stories, starts with lies.”
Fishamble: The New Play Company and Staatstheater Mainz in Germany, in association with Pavilion Theatre and Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable are delighted to present the World Premiere of REFUGE by Deirdre Kinahan in Mainz in June. This run will be followed by the Irish Premiere at Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire as part of Dublin Theatre Festival this Autumn, as well as very special performances in Limerick, the home of the play, at the Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable.
The run of REFUGE in Germany is supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Berlin and the Irish Consulate in Frankfurt. The run in October is presented as part of Ireland’s EU Presidency culture programme. The production is supported by the Goethe-Institut.
“Why are you here?”
A community flees persecution in Germany and is offered land in Ireland that should never have been given.
1710, Rathkeale, County Limerick.
REFUGE traces their journey and explores the enduring connections between displaced communities of the past and those seeking safety today.
It is a thrilling new play that weaves past, present and future: music and magic. Stories of longing, love and loss tear at the human need to find a place, a home, a refuge.
18 – 23 June 2026 Venue: Staatstheater Mainz, Germany Tickets
24 – 26 September 2026 Venue: Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick Tickets
30 September – 11 October 2026 Venue: Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire Tickets
17 – 21 October 2026 Venue: Staatstheater Mainz, Germany Tickets
Deirdre Kinahan is represented by Emily Hickman at The Agency London Ltd.
