Sligo's Blue Raincoat Theatre Company celebrates its 10th birthday on Sunday. The Factory Performance Space will be reopened after a £400,000 refurbishment.
The 19th-century grain store, acquired in the early days of the company, has been transformed, with a new roof, underfloor heating and a studio rehearsal space. From being a derelict warehouse it has become an important cultural facility for the town, with seating for 100 people.
Blue Raincoat's artistic director, Niall Henry, pointed out that it is one of only two remaining stone buildings in the docks area. Having its own theatre through the early years was "one of the reasons we survived at all", he said. Druid also has its own theatre building.
In 10 years, Blue Raincoat has staged more than 30 productions. Originally concentrating on visual theatre, influenced by Henry's training in Paris, he said the style of work had changed over the years. "What we do now is a hybrid - very visual but also text-based so it is unusual in that sense."
The company is now established nationally. As part of the Abbey Theatre's collaboration with independent companies, Blue Raincoat was resident for most of the summer at the Peacock, staging two of its most recent productions. Celebrations on Sunday will start with a performance of one of those shows, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and the official opening will then be performed by Jim Nolan, founding member of Red Kettle theatre company.
Plans for next year include a return to the classics after concentrating on new works for the past two years. Given that much of what it does is similar to the kind of theatre being staged in Germany or Denmark, its production of Macbeth will open in Berlin in March, before returning to Sligo and touring in Ireland.