A tender, funny tale about our secret selves
‘Harris's writing is bracingly witty, alert and incisive' Irish Times
From February 24th at 1pm with a SOIRÉE PERFORMANCE at 7pm on Friday, March 7th, 2025
ABOUT
BEWLEY’S CAFÉ THEATRE is proud to present…
NO ROMANCE:
A Desperate Business​
​by Nancy Harris (The Dry)
​
“Why all of a sudden does everybody have to know everything about each other? When did we decide that unless we divulge every stupid thought we have, every minute of the day, that we’re not living a proper life?”
A funeral home in Dublin. Carmel and Joe have arrived early to Joe’s mother’s wake. After twenty-four years together, they think they know each other inside out. But while they’re here to bury their dead, they begin to uncover secrets, lies and fantasises that they’ve kept hidden from each other.
Are we entitled to our own private life, secret even from those closest to us? Or in this age of curated online lives and fake news, is honesty all we have?
‘No Romance’ by Nancy Harris was originally staged as a play in three acts at The Peacock Theatre in 2011. This, the second act, offers an uncanny meditation on how technology, spirituality and the economy was shaping and continues to shape modern love.
'Great comedy, keen sympathy and lingering poignancy... Harris's writing is bracingly witty, alert and incisive' Irish Times
'It's safe to say that we are witnessing the emergence of a major talent... extraordinarily sure-footed writing and a depth of compassion and sly humour that bond into a dazzling debut' Sunday Independent
'Poignant, tragic and laugh out loud funny... Strong new writing like this breathes fresh life into Irish theatre' Irish Post
​
Age guidance: 14+
Duration: 45 minutes
​​​
BOOKING INFORMATION
February 24th – March 15th, 2025
There will be a SOIRÉE SHOW at 7pm on Friday, March 7th
Mon-Sat at 1pm (doors open at 12.50pm)
Tickets: Low-price Mon/Tues €10, Wed/Thurs €12, Fri/Sat €15.
SOIRÉE Tickets : €12
​
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible via the main Grafton Street entrance with a lift to the second floor.
CAST AND CREW
WRITTEN BY: Nancy Harris
DIRECTED BY: Ellen Buckley
PERFORMED BY: John Cronin & Clara Fitzgerald
SET DESIGN: Ronan Duffy
LIGHTING DESIGN: TBC​
​
​