PERCOLATE 2024 - 2026

ANNOUNCING THE ARTISTIC PANEL AND SELECTED PLAYWRIGHTS FOR PERCOLATE 2024-2026

PERCOLATE 2024-2026

In January 2021, Bewley’s Café Theatre began its inaugural development programme for playwrights with an ambition to raise the level of discussion and engagement with new dramatic writing in Ireland and to be a resource for the wider Irish theatre community.

Having launched, supported, nurtured and encouraged new plays and playwrights over the last two decades, we are proud to again be offering this sustained support to writers.

We have formed a new Artistic Advisory Panel – six theatre artists with a variety of experience and expertise – who will actively collaborate with playwrights, offering engagement, feedback and a continuing dialogue on their work. And we are proud to announce our new group of six playwrights for our second PERCOLATE:

WRITERS:

GABRIEL ADEWUSI

Gabriel Adewusi is a Nigerian-Irish actor and writer based in Dublin. He has most recently completed the Baptiste Programme with Smock Alley Theatre, and the Fishamble play writing course. He is currently on tour with the Druid Theatre Company after completing the Druid Ó'Casey tour in 2023.

CATRIONA DALY

Caitríona Daly is a playwright from Dublin. She is the 8th recipient of the Irish Theatre Institute’s Phelim Donlon Playwright’s Bursary and Residency Award. and has previously won the Writer’s Guild of Ireland Zebbie Award for Best Theatre Script. Her work has been translated and produced internationally.

DARREN DONOHOE

Darren’s plays are developed/produced with the Abbey Theatre (Dublin), Irish Repertory Theatre (New York), the Keegan Theatre (Washington D.C.), Piccolo Teatro (Milan), and Bread and Roses Theatre (London). His play Taxi Light Vigil won the NEXT Generation Award and is currently touring in Italy.

CAITLIN M. KEARNS

Caitlin is an award-winning writer from East Belfast with a passion for telling untold and underrepresented stories. She is currently writing her third BBC Radio 4 commission while developing a range of diverse projects for stage, screen, and radio.

CLARE MONNELLY

Clare Monnelly is a writer and actor. Her plays have been produced by Livin’ Dred, Asylum Productions and Once Off Productions and premiered in Dublin Fringe, Cairde Arts Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival. She has just wrapped on her Screen Ireland Focus Short Cat & Mouse.

OIS O'DONOGHUE

Ois O’Donoghue is an interdisciplinary Theatre Maker, Writer and Producer. Most Recently, her play HYPER debuted at the 2023 Dublin Fringe Festival and was nominated for both the Fishamble New Writing Award and The George Fitzmaurice Award.

ARTISTIC PANEL:

AMY CONROY

Amy Conroy is an award winning actor, playwright, and theatre maker. Her writing credits for stage include I Alice I, Eternal Rising of the Sun, Break, Luck Just Kissed You Hello, Far Away From Me, and The Boy who talked to Dogs.

JOY NESBITT

Joy Nesbitt is a director, writer, and musician who is inspired by stories of Black Femininity and postcolonial imagination. She has been named on The Irish Times and Sunday Times' lists of "Ones to Watch in 2024." In 2022, Joy attended the Theatre Directing MFA at The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is a 2021 recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts for the sum of her artistic activities at Harvard University. Joy is currently a Director SEED for Rough Magic Theatre Company and a member of the 2023 cohort of the Rachel Baptiste Programme at Smock Alley Theatre.

GERRY STEMBRIDGE

Gerard Stembridge was born in Limerick and educated at CBS Sexton Street and UCD. He has written and directed for TV, Film and Theatre. He has published 5 novels.

The Panel also includes BCT staff, Iseult Golden, David Horan and Colm Maher.

ABOUT PERCOLATE

What we offer:

Regular individual meetings involving direct feedback on writer’s work
A series of playwriting workshops/masterclasses pitched to ability and experience (separate to the discussion of individual writer’s work)
Engagement from the entire advisory panel and a continuing relationship with Bewley’s Café Theatre
Creative Production Support to encourage a path to production
Financial stipend of €1000 for initial 4 months

Work does not have to be suitable for Bewley’s Café Theatre. Full length plays and large casts are as welcome as work that fits our lunchtime slot. The Workshops/Masterclasses will focus on the tools and frameworks of the dramatist’s craft. As these workshops can be advanced in nature, graduates from other new writing support programmes are welcome, as well as playwrights with established track records.

Bewley’s Café Theatre will provide showcase opportunities, connections to the wider industry, rehearsed readings and a continuing dialogue with the playwright. This continuing relationship guarantees a minimum of two years of engagement with Bewley’s Café Theatre and the Artistic Advisory Panel.