The Fairer Sex

Peacock Theatre, Dublin Jun 10 and 17 6pm €6 for one show €10 for both

In an alarmingly slow week for theatre, in a less than active season, during the grinding effects of the depression, the most interesting new theatrical event of the week is almost a crystallisation of the problem. Here we have six exciting writers, all of whom have proven track records, delivering just one-off rehearsed presentations of brief 20-minute pieces. What gives?

"I read somewhere that 90 per cent of theatre tickets are booked by women," says a character in Marina Carr's Marble. Irrespective of gender, Carr is one of the very few dramatists to have her work premiered on the Abbey's main stage. It's unclear how rigorously her character takes his market research, but the success of writers such as Carr, Marie Jones and even Fiona Looney suggest women's writing is far from bad for business. So it's hard to understand whether the "nurturing" of established writers under the title The Fairer Sex is meant to be ironic or simply patronising. Elaine Murphy, whose Little Gem has been very successful, the much-awarded Lisa McGee, and the endlessly productive stalwart Deirdre Kinahan are first to present their pieces. The equally accomplished writers Claire Kilroy (turning her hand to another medium), Ursula Rani Sarma and Rosemary Jenkinson are set to follow next week. Tantalising stuff, but these excellent writers don't need nurturing from the Abbey. They need a production.

Can’t see that? Catch this

Women on the Verge of HRTGrand Opera House, Belfast