The 11th Annual

November 9th-10th 2024 at Civic Theatre, Tallaght


2024 Program


Second Skin by Krystal Sweedman

Deirdre stays connected to her lover through the Alternaverse, but her politician daughter, dealing with waves of people displaced by climate flooding, needs to get her out of her VR fantasy – and out of her house, in this futuristic, thought-provoking tale about obsession, self-determination and what’s real.

Starring: Tim Casey, Gina Costigan, Megan Day, Paula McGlinchey & Niamh McPhillips. Directed by Ashley Steed

Sat. 9th Nov. 3pm

followed by Q&A with the writer

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On the Other Line by Fiona Kelly

Single mum Debbie quits her job at the checkout to follow her dreams of working in radio. But in the cut-throat world of The Vince Varian Show, how far will she stretch her morals and squeeze her friends for juicy stories, in this engrossing backstage drama about the seductive power of the media.

Starring: Laura Kelly, Michael Mullen, Paul Nugent, Maureen O’Connell, Eoin O’Sullivan, David Ryan & Laura White. Directed by Kathleen Warner Yeates.

Sat. 9th Nov. 8:15pm

followed by Q&A with the writer

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And Then by Colette Cullen

Fiona and Rachel are divorcing, but they’ll stay friends for the kids. Yet they can’t seem to stay out of each other’s business – their health scares, therapy sessions, sex lives … in this funny and heartfelt story of the complexities of love.

Starring: Fiona Lucia McGarry, Anna Nugent & Emmanuel Okoye. Directed by Esosa Ighodaro.

Sun. 10th Nov. 1pm

followed by Q&A with the writer

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5 x 10 by Denis Burke, Darren Donohoue, Brendan Griffin, Conor Matthews & Treasa Nealon

Five new 10-minute plays hot off the presses by Irish playwrights.

Ensemble: Tim Casey, Gina Costigan, Megan Day, Laura Kelly, Fiona Lucia McGarry, Paula McGlinchey, Niamh McPhillips.Michael Mullen, Anna Nugent, Paul Nugent, Maureen O’Connell, Eoin O’Sullivan, Emmanuel Okoye, David Ryan, Laura White. Dramaturg Krystal Sweedman. Directed by Anna Buchmueller & Paul Nugent.

Sun. 10th Nov. 6pm

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About The Festival

NEWvember is a festival of rehearsed readings of new plays that takes place over one weekend at venues across Dublin, produced by AboutFACE Ireland. There is no fee for submissions and all plays are read blind of name or gender by our panel. The spirit of NEWvember is to provide a dynamic, interactive and comfortable place where writers can hear their plays read by professional actors, and discuss their work and creative process with the audience.

2019 marked NEWvember’s third year in Dublin after 5 years in New York. AboutFACE co-created and co-produced NEWvember at the Carpenter Shop Theatre in the village of Tivoli in upstate New York, with our partners Tangent Theatre, from 2011 to 2015. During this time, NEWvember was highly successful – drawing large audiences, including breaking the box office record for the venue on successive nights; and finding massive interest from writers – by its fifth year, submissions reached nearly 500 plays a year and rehearsed readings of new work by over 30 playwrights had been presented, while several plays developed at the festival have gone on to Off-Broadway and regional American productions.NEWvember then moved to Dublin, Ireland, where the festival was held in 2017 at Belvedere House, in 2018 at The New Theatre and in 2019 at Smock Alley and The Civic. 2020’s festival during the pandemic took place online.

From NEWvember, many plays have gone on to further success, including recently:

  • The Gods of the Ozarks by Matthew Cole Kelly was given its world premiere by AboutFACE in 2019 at The Civic in Dublin.
  • Extremophiles by Fergal O’Byrne has since been awarded the prestigious Eamon Keane Playwriting Award at the 2018 Listowel Writers’ Week and had its world premiere production in Denmark in 2020
  • Deanna and Paul by Dagney Kerr and The Paper Hangers by Emily Brauer Rogers were produced together at Stages Theatre in California in March 2020
  • Charlotte’s Letters by Jennifer O’Grady has won the Henley Rose Award
  • Holy and Unruly by David Beardsley had its world premiere in the 2022

Playwrights featured at past NEWvembers:
Cohen Ambrose, Melisa Annis, Will Arbery, David Beardsley, Jeanne Beckwith, Jessica Bedford, Emily Bohannon, Hal Borden, John Bray, John Cariani, Ronan Carr, Conor Patrick Carroll, Shawna Casey, Samantha Charlip, Jim Connell-Moylan, Denis Dennehy, Michael DeVito, Elias Diamond, Ned Dougherty, Fengar Gael, Joanna Garner, Josepha Gutelius, Steven Haworth, Karen Howes, Matthew Kelly, Meghan Kennedy, Dagney Kerr, Kieran McGowan, James McLindon, Nicholas Makin, Aleks Merilo, Jessica Moss, Fergal O’Byrne, Jennifer O’Grady, Dan O’Neil, Kristen Palmer, Peter Papadopoulos, Aidan Parkinson, Jacob Perkins, Craig Pospisil, Shannon Reed, Fiona Rose Stout, Emily Brauer Rogers, Jan Rosenberg, Jennifer Skura, Caitlin Saylor Stephens, Seamus Scanlon, Neil Sharpson, Ryan Sprague, Aaron Weissman, Rachel White.

Past Playwrights Say

“The NEWvember festival is an exciting week of new plays created by the highest caliber collaborators. AboutFACE is 100% class, and if you’re lucky enough to participate, get ready for a fun, professional, beautifully organized and received experience in a strong, supportive community of theatre artists.”

– Emily Bohannon
Looking at the Sun (NEW’19 – Development Spotlight)

“The AboutFACE reading was a fantastic experience.”

– Nicholas Makin
I Poured the Tea (NEW’19)

“NEWvember was one of the best playwriting experiences I’ve had. I received invaluable feedback that helped my play grow significantly!”

– Emily Brauer Rogers
The Paper Hangers (NEW’19)

“The 2018 NEWvember Festival was one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had as a playwright.”

– David Beardsley
Holy and Unruly (NEW’18)

“I have had the privilege of participating in many developmental readings of my work, and my experience with AboutFACE Ireland was, hands down, among the best.”

– Matthew Kelly
The Gods of the Ozarks (NEW’18)

“NEWvember was a fantastic experience, and it was such a delight to hear my work interpreted by such a talented ensemble of actors.”

– Neil Sharpson
The Caspian Sea (NEW’18)

“To me this event is a leading light for the theatre sector.”

– Fergal O’Byrne
Extremophiles (NEW’17)

“Last year’s NEWvember festival was as exciting and involving and happy an experience as any I’ve had in theatre, and I’ve had a few.”

– Jeanne Beckwith
The Late Rosie Callaghan (NEW’17)

NEWVember Festival History
Click below for more information on previous NEWVember festivals.
Past NEWVember Festivals