Presented as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival 2026
Mourning is a Muscle
Barry Fitzgerald
9 – 12 September 2026
A denim-drenched journey through grief, queerness and lineage – part performance, part installation.
Four years after their father’s death, Barry began writing him letters. What started as a private mourning ritual became a way to move again.
Fusing ritual, music, design and movement, this tender new work travels from Annie Lennox to Neil Diamond, Carlow fields to London lockdown, line dancing to lip-syncing.
A call to witness mourning in all its forms: spectacular, ordinary and everything in between.
Support Credits
Funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Developed with the support of Carlow Arts Festival, Carlow Arts Office, Dublin Fringe Festival, OUTBOX, Pan Pan, Shoreditch Town Hall and VISUAL Carlow.
Image Credit
Dónal Talbot
Production Credits
Creator/Performer: Barry Fitzgerald
Set & Costume Designer: Rūta Irbīte
Sound Designer: Tadhg Kinsella
Lighting Designer: John Gunning
Movement: Barry Fitzgerald & Daniel Hay-Gordon
Dramaturg: Ben Buratta
Costume Maker: Harry Whitham
Graphic Design: Brenda O’Lochlainn
Stage Manager: Em Kelleher
Production Manager: Iris Liange
Producer: Anderson de Souza
Dates & Times
Preview: 9 Sep, 6:30pm
10 Sep, 6:30pm
11–12 Sep, 3:45pm & 6:30pm
Tickets
Preview: €16
Performances: €20/18
Space
Cube
Duration
60 minutes
Warnings
Contains themes of grief and parental loss. This performance contains haze effects and strobe lighting.
Age guidance: 14+
Outside of the performances, elements of Mourning is a Muscle will be exhibited in the foyer of Project Arts Centre - you are invited to visit and encounter this work in your own time.
Genres
FestivalInterdisciplinaryTheatre
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