The award winning show ‘The Ref’, a comedy with songs about the same-sex marriage referendum, returns to Dublin

The Ref was the best selling show in this year’s International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival and it’s making a return this week. The show which was awarded the Hilton Edwards Award at the Festival Galas, will be running in the Pearse Centre (Pearse Street, Dublin 2) from November 1-5 at 8pm.

The show is a comedy, but uses song and satire to highlight the trials that LGBT people went through in the run up to the same-sex marriage referendum.

“For many in the LGBT community, the marriage referendum was a whole roller-coaster of emotions, that fortunately ended in triumph, but I wanted to write something that put the fear and excitement of it into focus, by telling the story of one family’s journey through it,” said Sean Denyer, the show’s writer.

“Hopefully, it makes people laugh, but it also uses satire and song, to show up some of the absurdities we were forced to endure. It made every gay person feel they were under the microscope.”

Howard Lodge, the show’s director, explained that the same-sex marriage referendum was probably the “biggest and most public debate” on being gay ever.

“We think it’s really important for an LGBT drama group to give a reflection on the experience of the referendum, which was probably the biggest and most public debate on being gay that was ever held anywhere,” Lodge said.

“The show is funny, but makes some serious points between the laughs, and has some ridiculously catchy songs written by Sean, with music by Mark Power and Cal Folger Day!

“We were bowled over by the audience reactions – they seemed to find the show funny but also cathartic in a way, to relive that experience including the not-so-nice bits!”

Tickets €15/12 are available from www.actingout.ticketleap.com/ref and on Tuesday 1st there is a special night for students where tickets are just a fiver.

There is also a special performance in aid of the Simon Community and their work with people who are homeless on Thursday 3rd November.

(Image via Flickr, by William Murphy CC 2.0)