style="font-weight: bold;">I have a favour to ask, but it’s something for you as well as me. However, if you do this favour, I’ll gladly offer one in return*.

Today or this weekend buy a ticket to see a theatre show in the next while. Buy one for you and if you can bring a friend, please do. Go see something live. See the great stuff that people in Ireland are putting on for you.

“AH NO DARRAGH” you say. “I HATE THEATRE. It’s boring. There’s nothing good on and it’s too expensive. I don’t “get” plays. Plays are only for old people and people with friends who are involved. Not for ordinary people.”

Not so.

In the last couple of weeks I’ve seen some great plays for less than a tenner and about all sorts of things. We’re in a great season of theatre in Ireland, with the ABSOLUT Fringe Festival, the Dublin Theatre Festival and more happening over the next few weeks.

Yes, I like theatre. I don’t always get it. I don’t always understand it and yes, sometimes I see some shows that aren’t good. But I love the fact that people are getting up there and doing it.

If you’re in Dublin, go to something in the Fringe Festival. Tickets are around the €10 mark, some shows are only 45 minutes long and there are shows about everything from Solpadeine to Farming, from Wine history to Mass, from Tradesmen to reincarnation, from online dating to Pinocchio, from Elvis to Hipsters and more.

Three shows over the next week at ABSOLUT Fringe:

href="http://www.fringefest.com/programme/a-wine-goose-chase">Wine Goose Chase - a wine bar off Dawson Street with stories about the history of Irish wine. Tickets from €12 and it’s 60 minutes long.

href="http://www.fringefest.com/programme/singlehood">Singlehood – For those single, who have been single or wish they were single. People talking about their lives, loves and longings – and it’s all true. Tickets from €14 and it’s 70 minutes. Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar

href="http://www.fringefest.com/programme/rubberbandits-with-support-from-pop-ceili">Rubberbandits and Pop Céilí – Meeting House Square – Saturday 22nd – one of the last great hurrahs of the Fringe Festival, guaranteed comedy, craic, music and entertainment for everyone who wants entertainment. Tickets €16.

Further afield…

…the AMAZING href="http://www.everymanpalace.com/2012/05/druidmurphy/">DruidMurphy cycle of plays is on in the Everyman in Cork. Cannot recommend these enough. After rave reviews in London, New York and Galway ans soon coming to the Dublin Theatre Festival, you should definitely try to catch it.

href="http://watergatetheatre.com/programme/event/whistle-down-the-wind/">Whistle Down The Wind is being staged by the wonderfully enthusiastic Starlight Stage School at the Watergate Theatre Kilkenny. Tickets are €12

href="http://www.theatreroyal.ie/events/all_star_wars">All Star Wars – the hurling comedy – is on down in Waterford soon. Tickets €25.

href="http://tht.ie/1468/Tuesdays-with-Morrie">Tuesdays with Morrie has been getting great reviews in Dublin and opens soon at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway. Tickets from €15.

In Dublin, there’s places like The New Theatre: Dublin, Theatre Upstairs at Lanigans Pub on Eden Quay, Viking Theatre at The Sheds, Axis Ballymun, Draiocht Blanchardstown, Bewleys Cafe Theatre, Pavilion Dun Laoighre, Civic Theatre Tallaght, The Mill in Dundrum, The Back Loft, The Pearse Centre, The Back Loft, Exchange Dublin, The Workmans, The Sugar Club, The Players Theatre at Trinity and so many more.

Down the country there’s so so many people that would love to see you through the door. Theatre is not just about people in suits, glasses of wine and talking about the subtext in the playwright’s intentions in Act 2, comparing it to the pathos evident in the lead characters bitter portrayal of her anguish. There’s some of that, fine. But there’s also the laughing, the reactions, the thought provoking pieces and the sheer talent that’s out there at the moment.

The Dublin Theatre Festival coming up soon has some amazing shows as well, both Irish and International – dramatic, funny, interesting and inspiring storytelling at its best.

Supporting the theatre

WHY am I asking you to do this? Because if people don’t go to theatre, theatre won’t happen. Good theatre won’t happen. You know that whole idea of “You won’t miss it until it’s gone?” Well there are so so many writers, actors, costume makers, lighting and sound technicians, directors, producers, set designers and more working in Irish theatre making this all happen. If you spent a tenner going to the theatre once every three months, it will help keep people employed. God knows what trouble they’d get into if they weren’t working!

“AHHH” you say “That’s all well and good, but I NEVER hear about the good shows until it’s too late and they’re sold out and they’re all gone and it’s over and how would I find out what’s on anyways?”

Well, funny enough, I find most of mine via Facebook, so below I’ve listed a LOAD of Facebook pages you should check out. If I’ve missed any, let me know.

One FINAL thing – remember you can get involved and help make this happen from as little as €5. Go check out the projects on href="http://www.FundIt.ie">www.FundIt.ie.

You can help make theatre happen from 5 euro. Better than a pint, and I like my pints.

Whether you agree or disagree, I’d ask you to think about it. Give it a go. You may love it. You may not. It’ll be something to talk about though.

*I’m happy to do what I can to help people enjoy theatre, whether that’s coffee, a chat, promo or swapping a favour. I do a lot of stuff, especially promo, online. Let me know how I can help, if I can.

Support Irish Theatre
/> href="http://www.facebook.com/Fundit.ie">www.facebook.com/Fundit.ie
/> href="http://www.facebook.com/NCFAie">www.facebook.com/NCFAie
/> href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/riseproductions/">www.facebook.com/groups/riseproductions

href="http://worldirish.com/story/11977-supporting-irish-theatre-a-list-of-theatre-facebook-pages">Read the full list of theatre links and resources here.

G’wan. What’s the worst that could happen?

Author: Darragh Doyle, href="http://twitter.com/darraghdoyle">@darraghdoyle