“I’m so terribly depressed.” These are the words that Desmond, a young flamboyant man and one of the protagonists of Youth’s the Season -?, keeps repeating throughout the play. Set in 1930s Dublin, it explores themes that feel very much contemporary in an attempt to answer the question: Is youth really the season made for joy?
Directed by Sarah Jane Scaife, Youth’s the Season -? runs at the Abbey Theatre from April 2 to May 3 and has already received raving reviews for its dark humour and the wit with which it exposes the shallowness of middle-class life in newly independent Ireland. The title of the play is a reference to a line from John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728), which reads: “Youth’s the Season made for Joys”.
Youth’s the Season -? follows a group of young, well-off Dubliners who attempt to escape the boredom of everyday life by throwing a party to celebrate Desmond’s 21st birthday. These privileged ‘bright young things’ “flirt wildly, discuss the nature of love, and trade devastating insults” during the birthday party, uncovering the funny yet dark side of life in the Jazz Age.
While the play is set at a time of monumental historical changes, there is little mention of politics or government. The story instead focuses on the careers and love lives of the young protagonists, exposing their complicated relationship with Dublin, a city they both love and hate.
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Youth’s the Season -? was written by Irish novelist and playwright Mary Manning in 1931. Through satire, it uncovers the deep loneliness and sense of isolation of the characters, who face struggles that will feel all too real even to a 2025 audience.
Almost 100 years later, the production running at the Abbey Theatre brings all the tragi-comedy of the original work to life in an incredible opportunity to revisit a masterpiece from the Irish theatre canon. Youth’s the Season -? is part of the Gregory Project at the Abbey Theatre, a body of work celebrating the legacy of Abbey Theatre co-founder Augusta Gregory.
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There’s still time to catch this incredible play at the Abbey Theatre, with shows running until May 3. Find out more and get your tickets here.
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