Deirdre Kinahan is an award winning playwright and producer from Ireland, working professionally in theatre since 1997. She was founding member and artistic director of a highly successful independent theatre company from 1997 to 2012 producing new plays and highlighting the work of women playwrights worldwide. She began writing herself in 1999 and has a hugely diverse cannon to her credit. Deirdre is an elected member of Aosdána, a group of Artists considered to have made an outstanding contribution to Arts & Culture in Ireland. She has served on the board of the Abbey Theatre, Theatre Forum Ireland and Glassmask Theatre Dublin. She is advisor to the Stewart Parker Trust whose mission is to encourage new writing for the stage. Deirdre is Literary Associate with Meath County Council. Her plays are produced across Ireland, as well as being translated and produced internationally.
Deirdre is also a recipient of two Peggy Ramsay Awards and numerous Irish Arts Council bursaries for writing. Her play HALCYON DAYS won a Fringe First in 2013 and was nominated for Best Play at The Irish Times Theatre Awards the same year. She was nominated for a Professional Women in Theatre Award 2020 by Solas Nua, Washington DC. In 2024, she was named as one of the recipients of the inaugural Pratchett Prize for challenging the stigma of Alzheimer’s Disease in her play AN OLD SONG, HALF FORGOTTEN. Her work has been recognised internationally with award nominations in the UK, US and Europe. She is published by Nick Hern Books.
In Development:
FALLEN
Opera Commission
Meath County Council and Belfast Ensemble
UNTITLED COMMISSION 2023
Fishamble Theatre
UNTITLED COMMISSION 2023
Staatstheater Mainz
Theatre:
TEMPESTA 2023
GlassMask Theatre Dublin
THE SAVIOUR 2021 -2023
Landmark Productions, Irish Repertory
Theatre NYC, Dublin Theatre Festival 2023.
AN OLD SONG, HALF FORGOTTEN 2023
Abbey Theatre
BLOODY YESTERDAY 2022
Glass Mask Theatre
OUTRAGE 2022
Meath County Council & Fishamble Theatre Co.
(Published in RAGING, 3 plays, 7 years of war in Ireland by Nick Hern
Books)
THE VISIT 2021
Draiocht Theatre Co.
EMBARGO 2020
Fishamble Theatre Company
Published in RAGING, 3 plays, 7 years of war in Ireland Nick Hern
Books)
CROSSINGS 2018
Pentabus Theatre/UK Tour
THE UNMANAGEABLE SISTERS 2018/19
A new version of LES BELLES-SŒURS originally written by Michel Tremblay
Abbey Theatre
Rathmines Road 2018
Fishamble & Abbey Theatre.
Dublin Theatre Festival/Phoenix Arizona.
Staatstheater Mainz, Germany.
RISE 2016
The Old Vic Community Company
Lydia Glynn 2017– Manhattan Theatre Club, New York
Sloan Commission.
WILD SKY 2016
Meath County Council Arts Office for 1916 Rising Commemoration.
Meath/Dublin/New York/Washington.
(Published in RAGING, 3 plays, 7 years of war in Ireland Nick Hern
Books)
SPINNING 2014
Fishamble The New Play Company
Dublin Theatre Festival/Chicago
HALCYON DAYS 2012
Tall Tales & Landmark Productions
Dublin Theatre Festival/Irish Tour/New York/Edinburgh/
Warsaw/Finland
BOGBOY 2010
Tall Tales & Project Arts Centre/Irish Arts Centre,
New York. Dublin/Irish Tour/New York
MOMENT 2009/2011
Tall Tales & Project Arts Centre, Bush
Theatre, London. Irish Tour/London/Chicago/Washington/
Montreal/Toronto /Sophia
Attaboy Mr Synge 2003
Civic Theatre, Dublin.
PASSAGE 2000
Civic Theatre.
Dublin (Published in Queer Notions Cork University Press).
KNOCKNASHEE 2001
Tall Tales & Civic Theatre.
Dublin & Irish Tour.
BÉ CARNA 1999
Tall Tales Theatre Company.
Dublin/ Irish Tour/ Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Short Plays:
JANE 2020
Abbey Theatre & GAA Commemoration Project
DEAR ALEX 2020
Abbey Theatre Dear Ireland Project
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELDS 2020
Meath County Council
YES! 2018
Home Theatre, Draoicht, Blanchardstown.
WILD NOTES 2018
For Solas Nua, Washington DC. (Published DK
Shorts Nick Hern Books)
RENEWED 2017
OLD VIC, London.
Performed by Julie Walters.
PROTEST 2013
Royal Court Theatre London,
Part of the PIIGS Project
BROKEN 2012
Fishamble Theatre Company
Part of the Tiny Plays for Ireland project
Dublin/Sydney/Washington.
(Published Tiny Plays for Ireland, New Island Books).
TRANSGRESSOR 2011
The Bush Theatre London
For 66 Books of the King James Bible
THE FINGERS OF FAVERSHAM 2011
Bush Theatre
As part of Where’s My Seat Project
HUE AND CRY 2007
Tall Tales & Oranmor Glasgow & Bewleys Café
Theatre. Dublin/Meath/Glasgow/New York/Bulgaria/Romania.
(Published Liberty Press, Texts – Plays by Irish Women).
MELODY 2005
Tall Tales & Dublin City Council.
Dublin/Meath/Irish Tour/Glasgow.
(Published Samuel French).
Plays for Children:
ME & MOLLY & MOO 2018
Meath County Council
BORN 2016
Meath County Council,
A play for children re-enacting the week of revolution 1916 through the eyes of a group
of tenement children.
MAISY DALY’S RAINBOW 2008
Solstice Arts Centre & Tall Tales
THE SNOW CHILD 2004
Ramor Theatre Cavan.
Radio Plays:
THE BAG ON BALLYFINCH PLACE 2014
BBC Radio 4
BOGBOY 2008
RTE Radio Drama
Adaptations:
THE UNMANAGEABLE SISTERS 2018/19
A new version of LES BELLES-SŒURS originally written by Michel Tremblay
Abbey Theatre
MARY LAVIN STORIES 2013/14
Adapted for Meath County Council
Arts Office & Hay Festival Kells
THE TALE OF THE BLUE EYED CAT 2003
Adaptation of on the Enid Blyton Short Story
The Ramor Theatre
Screen:
OUTRAGE
Adaptation in Development
ISLAND
Co-written with Ian Fitzgibbon
Supported by Irish Film Board
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Not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the Copyright holder.