The Kilkee Playwright Festival to take centre stage this weekend

This Saturday, September 20, Kilkee will once again prove itself the cultural heartbeat of rural west Clare as the Kilkee Playwright Festival takes over Cultúrlann Sweeney Theatre. 

With a packed programme of workshops, screenings and performances, the festival draws on local heritage while connecting audiences with voices from across Ireland and Palestine.

Festival director Jenny Bassett said the events reflect Kilkee’s unique position: “The Kilkee Playwright Festival is about honouring our own history while also opening our doors to the wider world. From revisiting John Ford’s film at the railway station, imagining a unified Ireland to engaging with artists from Palestine, we’re celebrating the power of theatre to connect communities across time and across borders.”

At 8pm, the theatre will host the Clare premiere of Paddy Cullivan’s acclaimed one-man show, 'I Can’t Believe It’s Not Ireland.' Cullivan, best known as frontman of The Camembert Quartet and the Late Late Show’s long-time musical director, brings his trademark mix of music, sharp satire and striking visuals to Kilkee. His performance takes audiences on a whirlwind journey through Ireland’s past, before leaping forward to an imagined 2032 and a united 32-county future.

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Having toured across Ireland and the United States, the show arrives in Clare with glowing reviews for its blend of comedy, history and bold vision. Tickets are priced at €18 (€16 concession).

Earlier in the afternoon, from 4pm to 5:30pm, the festival will host a special fundraising event in solidarity with Palestine. Audiences will see the Irish premiere of 'Bitter Birth,' a 50-minute film by Palestinian director Mohammad Farhan Al-Karmi, followed by a live discussion with executive director Mohammad AboHasheem via Zoom. The film lays bare the realities of life under occupation, telling stories of loss, resilience and interfaith solidarity. AboHasheem, will outline his next film 'Lifeless Souls' which gives voice to children living through genocide. It will also discuss the evolution of Palestinian theatre under occupation. Donations will support the development of the new film.

Adding to the day’s offerings, the festival has a strong local thread. From 1:30pm to 3:30pm, west Clare’s history comes alive in a 'Devising Theatre' workshop led by festival director Jenny Bassett and Rob Hopkins. Open to all, the session will recreate a scene inspired by John Ford’s 'A Minute’s Wait,' the short film shot at Kilkee’s west Clare Railway station in 1955 with famously cast Abbey Theatre actors alongside local extras.

With tickets at just €7 (€5 concession), the workshop invites the community to step back into a story that once brought excitement and stardom to the town’s railway platform. 

Tickets for all events are available from the Cultúrlann Sweeney Theatre box office at (065) 906 0769 or online at www.Clarearts.ie 

With international voices, local creativity and affordable ticket prices, Kilkee is the place to be this Saturday!