National tour of The Shadow of a Gunman

14 November 2023

Druid Theatre announced today that they will tour to 11 venues around Ireland next spring with Sean O’Casey’s classic play The Shadow of a Gunman. This five-star production was first produced as part of DruidO’Casey, Druid’s 2023 play cycle of Sean O’Casey’s Dublin Trilogy, which also includes The Plough and the Stars and Juno and the Paycock.

Set against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, and by turns tragic and comic, The Shadow of a Gunman is the tale of an ambitious young woman who dreams of a life beyond her Dublin tenement with the mysterious neighbour downstairs.

Directed by Garry Hynes, The Shadow of a Gunman features Druid Ensemble members Rory Nolan and Marty Rea, alongside Gabriel Adewusi, Clare Barrett, Caitríona Ennis, Bosco Hogan, Sean Kearns, Robbie O’Connor and Catherine Walsh.

The Shadow of a Gunman will tour to Roscommon Arts Centre, The Everyman in Cork, Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick, Siamsa Tíre in Tralee, the National Opera House in Wexford, Glór in Ennis, Backstage Theatre in Longford, Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo, the Town Hall Theatre in Claremorris, the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, and the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.

DruidO’Casey has been critically acclaimed, earning five-star reviews from The Observer, Financial Times, The Stage, Irish Mail on Sunday and New York Stage Review. The New Yorker called it ‘the season’s most exciting international visit’, The Wall Street Journal reviewed it as ‘astonishing’, while The Irish Times, Sunday Independent and Irish Examiner all described it as ‘magnificent’. The production also earned Druid’s Artistic Director Garry Hynes the Best Director Award from the UK Theatre Awards.

DruidO’Casey broke box office records and sold out weeks in advance when it was announced in early 2023, with more than 28,000 people attending performances across its Irish and American five-city tour. Early booking is strongly recommended for this national tour of The Shadow of a Gunman.

Druid has a long history of touring in Ireland, having performed in 40 venues in 19 counties on the island of Ireland in the past 8 years alone. Recent national tours include productions of The Last Return by Sonya Kelly, The Cavalcaders by Billy Roche and Three Short Comedies by Sean O’Casey.

Garry Hynes, Director of The Shadow of a Gunman and Druid’s Artistic Director: ‘We were blown away by the response to DruidO’Casey when we played to Irish audiences in Galway, Belfast and Dublin and American audiences in New York and Michigan. Touring is at the heart of Druid’s mission so we look forward to hitting the road again next spring and bringing the work of Sean O’Casey to even more people in towns and cities across the country.’