The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival has unveiled its programme for 2025. Taking place from April 27 to May 18, the festival will feature 11 unmissable LGBTQ+ plays and events across two city centre venues.
Proceedings kick off with experimental theatre group Rock Bottom Saloon’s Trash Cinema Club, a celebration of all things low-budget, chaotic and queer. There will be three separate events in the Pearse Centre on April 27, May 4 and May 11, each featuring a different theme and special guest. There will also be trashy tunes provided by DJ Kwoo.
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All other events will take place in the Teachers’ Club on Parnell Square. Week one of the festival will feature Stealing Stories, Oh! I Miss the War, Iggy Beamish Destroys Traditional Marriage and The Strange Case of Dr. Dillon.
Stealing Stories is a brand-new production from Acting Out, Dublin’s LGBTQ+ theatre group. The sharp comedy follows a straight cis man and his gay friend as they navigate a contentious moment in their relationship.
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Oh! I Miss the War is a one-actor show from the UK consisting of two related monologues. The first is I Miss the War by Matthew Baldwin, which marked the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act, and the second is Oh!, which was written in response to it.
All the way from Canada, Iggy Beamish Destroys Traditional Marriage follows the titular character who makes a dubious living officiating straight weddings while avoiding the reality of his own gay divorce. He bravely explores the gulf between hetero and homo matrimony, bringing audiences on a journey from the happiest day of your life to rock bottom.
Another UK production, The Strange Case of Dr. Dillon sees an all trans cast bring the story of Michael Dillon to the stage. Dillon was the inventor of gender-affirming care for trans men, and the play follows the protagonist from his childhood in south England through his medical training in Dublin and beyond.
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The second week of the festival will feature Typewriters and Paintbrushers, The Little Black Fish, Homo(sapien) and It Goes Without Saying.
Typewriters and Paintbrushers follows two boys, Sam and Max, who meet at Longitude. Through their conversations, they discover things about each other and themselves that change their perspectives on life.
Hear untold stories from the Iranian queer community in The Little Black Fish. It is a critical reimagining of Samad Behrang’s children’s literary classic, which sees a fish leave the safety of the local stream to explore the world.
Set in Galway, Homo(sapien) is a joyful and dark comedic solo show about friendship, self-discovery and the intersection of sexuality and Catholicism. It follows “bad gay” Joey, who confronts his internalised homophobia while on a misguided quest to lose his virginity.
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From the US, It Goes Without Saying is a fun and unflinching look at the life and mimes of Bill Bowers, from growing up gay in Montana to working on Broadway and everything in between. Bill observes the incredible power that silence can wield – whether on stage, between family members, among neighbours, or all alone.
For information on the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival programme for 2025 or to book tickets, visit gaytheatre.ie.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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