With its blend of creativity, artistic fusion and bold experimentation, SCENE + HEARD returns in 2025 with a programme packed full of queer highlights. Set to take place from February 13 to March 1, the festival will take over Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin.
With 111 brand-new works and over 600 performers, designers, directors, and creators, this year’s SCENE + HEARD promises an existing showcase of daring ideas and creative risk-taking. Among the highlights of 2025 programme are some incredible queer productions. Check them out below!
I Wouldn’t Mind Control
Written by David Monaghan and Fionn Cleary, and directed by Ferelith Kingston, I Wouldn’t Mind Control follows non-binary journalist Daniel Lanigan as they become trapped in a nightmare of their own making after meeting the charming Dr. Morpheus O’Neill. The show is part of a double bill with Go West, a piece exploring themes of progress, colonisation, and hope. Get your tickets here.
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Gleek of the Week
A joyful new musical about hope, optimism, and the life-changing power of art, Gleek of the Week follows 17-year-old Conor who, deeply closeted and relentlessly bullied, finally decides to take part in the school’s talent show. Tickets are on sale here.
A Cruel & Uncaring God: An Ode to ‘The Sims’
From the wonderful team behind Who Robbed Annie Queeries? comes a darkly comedic ode to the chaotic world of The Sims. Expect irreversible game corruption and cartoonish allusions to sex in true The Sims-style in this unmissable show. Grab your tickets here.
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Cult of Aerobics
Written and performed by the multi-talented Emily Bradley, Cult of Aerobics is a “neon soaked fever dream where persipation meets aspiration”. With vibrant, vivacious routines, the show unleashes the audience’s potential as they follow the rise of a charismatic fitness leader as aerobics, obsession and cult-like devotion collide. Tickets here.
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Fifteen Minutes of Shame
Part of a double bill with Hivemind, Fifteen Minutes of Shame relays the totally true/false series of stories with Miss Sasha Shame, unravelling how hard it is to be just one person. The show delves into the fundamental question, “Who are you, really?”. Get your tickets here.
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Introduction to Charcoal
Tracing the topography of queer presence and vulnerability, Introduction to Charcoal challenges perceptions of non-conforming bodies with a staged life-drawing class. The show examines performative existence, (de)creation, and viewership politics. Tickets are available here.
Mr. Nibbles Has Had Enough!
This dark, noir-inspired comedy centres on the volatile relationship between a stray cat, Mr. Nibbles, and his manipulative influencer owner. Find out more about the show and get tickets here.
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These are only a few of the amazing shows included in the SCENE + HEARD programme. Check out their website for more.
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