So, you’re a fresher. You’ve just showed up to College and a transformative few weeks among big-talking academics and DU Players folk has got you wearing a polo neck and ready to soak up some Shakespeare. Or perhaps you’ve been here a while and are in desperate need of broadening your cultural horizons so you can leave college the “well-rounded person” that every employer seems to want these days. Unfortunately, your grant hasn’t come through and you still have to pay this month’s rent. Luckily, Dublin’s booming theatre scene has a range of affordable options.
The Abbey Theatre runs a free first preview series, whereby the first preview for almost every play performed at the theatre is free to the public. This allows students the opportunity to see the crème de la crème of Irish theatre for no cost. Coming up there is the fantastic Druid Theatre Company’s performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III on October 3rd, Rathmines Road and Double Cross on the smaller Peacock Stage on October 9th and 31st respectively, and the hotly anticipated Asking for It on November 9th. However, the tickets aren’t all that easy to acquire. They are doled out to the eager public on a first-come, first-served basis at 6.30pm, and large queues begin to form a couple of hours beforehand. Also, you can’t queue up and nab a couple as it’s only one per person. So, bring your buddy, bring your brolly, and remember that good things come to those who wait.
Alternatively, Rathmines Omniplex stream live performances of plays, operas and ballets from around the world. These offer students the chance to see some of the best live performers of our times, at a fraction of the cost one would pay to see them up close. The plays are usually broadcast in association with the National Theatre in Britain. For those looking to see new works in the near future, there is legendary playwright Alan Bennett’s new play Allelujah! which will be broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre in London on November 1st, and the critically acclaimed I’m Not Running by David Hare from Lyttelton Theatre on January 31st. For those in the mood for the bard, King Lear starring Ian McKellen will be broadcast from the West End on September 27th and A Winter’s Tale will broadcast from Shakespeare’s own Globe Theatre on October 4th. The Wilde classic The Importance of Being Earnest is broadcast from the Vaudeville Theatre London on October 9th. All these broadcasts cost just €13 for students.
Finally, if you’ve never attended a Dublin University Players show, you’re missing out. Members of DU Players pay the incredibly small sum of €2 per play. There are usually two plays put on every week throughout term, with one at 1pm and one at 6pm. DU Players won a whopping 13 prizes at the Irish Student Drama Awards this year and is the most prolific theatre group in Ireland. Staging established plays as well as new writing and improv, DU Players offers a theatrical experience too good for any theatre fan on a budget – and with a bit of sense – to pass up.
