Upstate Local's Zoo Station is proof that community theatre is alive and well in the Republic. Written and performed by members of Termonfeckin Macra na Feirme, it shows how theatre can explore community identity in a way not satisfactorily explored by mainstream media. The action is set in a small railway station north of Dublin.

Tommy, the stationmaster, is retiring after 40 years. He has seen his station turn from serving a sleepy provincial backwater to serving a busy commuter town. From this basic premise, the 14 actors, under the capable direction of playwright Declan Gorman, have developed scenes and characters that convey the complex realities of modern Irish life. The grind of commuting and the dark reality behind missing-persons posters and unwanted pregnancies are presented with humanity and humour, and without the kind of preaching sometimes found in Brecht-inspired agitprop. This was a community looking at itself with the pleasure of recognition. Applause all round.