Dublin Fringe Festival has announced its programme for 2017. This will be its last programme under current artistic director Kris Nelson.
With 81 productions and 460 performances across 34 venues, the festival is the largest largest multidisciplinary arts festival in Ireland. It runs from September 9th to 24th.
Nelson is working his Canadian links hard, with a number of productions between Irish and North American companies. STO Union will bring its Trophy project, a glowing, pop-up tent city, to Barnardo Square for the festival's opening weekend. Its programme will feature Dublin theatre company Change of Address, in which individuals will reveal moments that took their life in a different direction. Vancouver's Theatre Replacement and Dublin's Tonnta will produce Town Choir, combining writers' quotes with choral song.
Many of the Irish shows have a political edge. Grace Dyas of TheatreClub and Emma Fraser of Nine Crows have created Not At Home, which draws on testimonies from women who have travelled to access abortion services. Dance duo Junk Ensemble are tackling violence and PTSD in the military with Soldier Still. Sahar Ali will present a one-woman show exploring Irishism, Arabism and racism, while journalist Louise Bruton is presenting a show on sex and disability.
Luke Casserly has written a piece that looks at the events surrounding the Kerry babies case in 1980. And Amanda Coogan and Dublin Theatre of the Deaf will present a version of Teresa Deevy's play The King of Spain's Daughter.
The Fringe usually has one major spectacle, and this year it's Irish aerial acrobat troupe Loosysmokes, which is taking over a warehouse in the Dublin Docklands for nine nights for its show Raven Eyed.
Elsewhere, Lucy McCormick and her Girl Squad will present Triple Threat, their retelling of the New Testament, which was an Edinburgh Fringe favourite last year. In MDLSX, Silvia Calderoni explores gender and androgyny, and transgender artist Ivan Coyote will bring Tomboy Survival Guide to the Abbey. Grupo Tripé from Brazil will present Entre Quartos (Within Rooms), about the lives and loves of 20-somethings.
For comedy fans, Foil Arms and Hog will present their new show Oink at the Abbey Theatre, with Alison Spittle, Conor O'Toole, Davey Reilly and Pajama Man Shenoah Allen also featuring on the programme.
This year the Fringe will also introduce Young Radicals, a programme made for and by young people with Collapsing Horse.
For full details, see fringefest.com.
