IDGTF 2014 Programme Launch

PRESS RELEASE:

11th INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN GAY THEATRE FESTIVAL 2014

LAUNCHED BY LORD MAYOR OISIN QUINN AND TONY AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR PATRICK MASON

March 18th 2014, The Oak Room, Mansion House, Dublin 2, 17.30

The Eleventh Annual International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival programme was launched today at The Oak Room at the Mansion House.

The Festival will take place from May 5th to May 18th at various locations around Dublin and present plays from abroad – USA, Canada, South Africa, Israel and Australia as well as plays from closer to home from Northern Ireland and Britain.

This year’s Festival will also feature a record number of plays by Irish playwrights and gladly supports the growing interest in LGBT issues and the gay community at home. During the two weeks in May the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy drama, comedy, music and cabaret at accessible prices, as well as a range of free events.

In his speech, the Festival Artistic Director and Chairman, Brian Merriman, highlighted the need for inclusion of all people in the Festival events.  Although 50% of the Festival audience is straight, he pointed out that the Festival is “suffering from goodwill. So many people look at the event and go ‘well done’ and then self-exclude themselves from it because they are not LGBT or they think they are not into theatre.”

He added: “We do not personally profit in anyway from our voluntary work supporting professional artists, but I believe we all profit from this visibility, this diversity, this inclusiveness of all, regardless of their identity, in a unique artistic celebration of new voices, new work and new horizons in Dublin in May.”

This year the Festival audience will have the opportunity to experience stories about family and gender, musings on love and happiness with a poignant look at gay marriage and divorce, love and loss.  There will be talk about gay rights, politics and sex in the 80s, a rethink of children’s tales and fairy tales.  Love will blossom in the trenches of World War 1, football pitches and Northern Ireland, and in spite and despite religion.

There will be stories about privilege and assumed rights that go with it; pure malice and perceived evil, obsession and corruption of beauty.  1916’s heroes feature as does the work of Wilde and Jean Genet, Stephen Sondheim and even Margaret Thatcher will make an appearance on stage!  But without fail, the Festival will show stories of and about that unpredictable and uncontrollable organ – the heart.

Booking is available online at http://www.gaytheatre.ie or at the Festival Box Office at The Arlington Hotel Temple Bar, Lord Edward Street from April 28th 12 noon to 3.00pm daily.

For further information please contact the Director Brian Merriman at 087 6573732 / info@gaytheatre.ie

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