Rough Magic Theatre Company
Previews: 21 – 23 Apr 8pm €15
Dates: 25 Apr – 7 May 8pm €25/20
Matinees: Sat 30 Apr & Sat 7 May 2pm €20
Real Deal: All tickets 26 Apr just €15
August 1798: charismatic rebel Henry Joy McCracken is on the run and asking himself how it all happened.
In Stewart Parker’s elegant, witty and moving play, a lunatic sense of invention is harnessed to a virtuoso Rough Magic ensemble for a free-wheeling journey, from the sublime to the ridiculous, through Irish political and theatrical history.
Northern Star is based on the intriguing story of Belfast-born United Irishman Henry Joy McCracken, as he dissects the reasons for the failure of the 1798 rebellion and the attempt to forge a new nation.
We join McCracken on the eve of his arrest and subsequent execution; a night that recalls the seven ages of his life, each presented in the style of a great Irish writer, from Boucicault and Wilde, to Behan and Beckett – a rollicking journey through the missed opportunities of Irish history.
Who is Henry Joy McCracken? Click here to find out.
“A directly political play that manages to be vastly entertaining as well as intellectually supple”
Fintan O’Toole
“His best play – by far … Parker speaks to the present through the past, using comedy, satire, parody and a seriousness that is nonetheless deadly for its being lightly drawn … seldom has Irish history been so provocatively or so entertainingly drawn on the stage”
The Irish Times
“Elegant, witty and moving … a remarkable virtuoso achievement”
The Observer
“A remarkably stimulating play and, given its modern relevance, it has a tragic core of unlearned lessons”
Irish Independent
“Only an Irishman could have written something like this: a freewheeling, lunatic sense of invention is harnessed to a cultivated, literary imagination and stoked up by moral outrage. It is a captivating play”
The Sunday Times
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Running time: 2 hr 15 min (including an interval)
Post-Show Discussion: Wed 27 Apr
With director Lynne Parker and the cast of Northern Star
Panel Discussions
There will also be two panel discussions presented in conjunction with this production.
Click here to read more and reserve a free ticket.
Cast includes Richard Clements, Darragh Kelly, Paul Mallon, Charlotte McCurry, Eleanor Methven, Rory Nolan, Robbie O’Connor, Ali White
Director Lynne Parker
Set and Lighting Designer Zia Holly
Costume Designer Joan O’Clery
Sound Designer Ivan Birthistle
Rough Magic Theatre Company was founded in 1984 and is one of the leading theatre companies in Ireland. Based in Dublin, the company regularly performs at Project Arts Centre and tours its work in Ireland, the UK and beyond.
Rough Magic Theatre Company is funded by the Arts Council, Dublin City Council, and their Patrons
Bringing a group?
Discounted rates are available for groups of 8 people or more.
To find out how much you could save, contact Andrew on 01 8819613 or andrew@projectartscentre.ie