Welcome to the 11th Scripts - Ireland’s Playwriting Festival.
Established in 2013, Scripts continues to create unique opportunities for playwrights, aspiring and established, to have their work developed and produced.
Our picturesque town of Birr, Co. Offaly, a haven of Georgian elegance and boutique chic, plays host to an ensemble of playwrights, producers, actors and directors, all discussing, presenting and producing riveting new works for stage.
Take a look at our packed programme below:
Theatre
.jpg)
10.30 am
let's write a Play!
kids Workshop with Lena Byrne
11am
The next Draft
Table reading of last years winning play with Róisín Daly
12.30pm
From Script to Access:
Disability-Led Theatre Practice case study with Christian O’Reilly and Peter Kearns
3 pm
Footnote
Pop-Up Play by Irene Kelleher
8 pm
Elysium Nevada
Play by Barry mcKinley
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
LOVE IN THE WILD
Written by Lisa Walsh
July 2, 2026 at 7:00:00 PM
Theatre
Ger Duffy is a dreamer. He mostly dreams about Grainne McManus.
There is a hole in his heart from the day she disappeared out of his life. That was five years ago, when they were lovers and addicts together. One day, Grainne’s Da turns up at Ger’s hall door in Ballymun.
ELYSIUM NEVADA
written by Barry McKinley
July 4, 2026 at 7:00:00 PM
Theatre
‘a study in wizened, impotent rage, measured out in wicked one liners’ The Irish Times
‘it has a memorable conclusion, linking these fading characters to the heavy pulse of human history, at one of its defining moments’ The Scotsman
FOOTNOTE
Irene Kelleher
July 4, 2026 at 2:00:00 PM
Pop-Up Play
Welcome to The Quirky Scroll. One hundred and two years old. The customers aren’t far behind.
It’s back-to-school season and the requests are flying in: “Syphilis” (Chrysalis), Lovers of Mice and Men, How to Shoot a Mockingbird, Mein Kampf (Minecraft) and, naturally, prick sticks.
NURTURED NEW WORKS
Liza Costello, Elaine Maguire O’Connor and Liam McCarthy
July 5, 2026 at 3:00:00 PM
Theatre
After a week of mentoring, editing and directing, our selected Scripts Playwrights’ plays will be brought from page to stage in a rehearsed reading by some of Ireland’s leading actors.
The awarded playwright will be chosen by our esteemed judging panel, Selina O’Reilly (The Abbey Theatre) and Mark O’Rowe.
THE QUIET MEN
Written & performed by Morgan C Jones
July 4, 2026 at 7:00:00 PM
Theatre
The Quiet Men delves into this hidden history (Arthur's multiple marriages, Barry's 1945 manslaughter charge and his life as an "Oscar winning priest" (co-starring in Going My Way with Bing Crosby) while living in the closet for nearly a quarter of a century with his stand in) and revelations about their connections to Alfred Hitchcock,James Bond 007 and James Connolly!
Workshops
.png)
Bridge The Gap
Led by Ultan Pringle
July 2, 2026 at 5:00:00 PM
Workshop - writing
Thursday 2 July (online): Drawing on Ultan’s hands-on model of making, the first workshop focuses on self-starting, peer collaboration, and cutting through the noise to move your script forward. This practical session about production and adapting your mindset for it will take place online.
The Next Draft
with Róisín Daly
July 4, 2026 at 10:00:00 AM
Table Reading
Where new plays begin — an early reading from one of Ireland’s emerging playwrights Róisín Daly, Writer in Residence at Birr Theatre, has been developing her Scripts 2025 play, The Waves Have No Ears in collaboration with mentor Eugene O’Brien over recent months.
Bridge The Gap
Led by Ultan Pringle
July 5, 2026 at 11:00:00 AM
Workshop - Writing
Sunday 5th July (in person): Ultan's second workshop, exploring how to cultivate a playwriting craft that can dream big and deliver, will take place onsite in Birr and will continue the dynamic interrogation of craft, practicalities and approach. Bridge The Gap is about doing, not just talking. Expect sharp discussion, real-world strategies, and an open exchange of ideas between writers who are ready to push their work further.
Writing Desire: Intimacy, Power & Embodiment
Run by Emily Reilly
July 3, 2026 at 1:00:00 PM
Workshop - Writing
Run by Emily Reilly from The Abbey Theatre In response to this year’s theme Desire, this workshop invites playwrights to explore how longing, attraction, and power are expressed on stage.
Moving beyond dialogue, it considers the role of subtext, embodiment, and silence in writing intimacy for performance. Participants will reflect on how desire shapes character, action, and tension.
From Script to Access:
Disability-Led Theatre Practice
July 4, 2026 at 11:30:00 AM
Case Study
How can theatre-makers create disability-themed work that is authentic, collaborative, and theatrically compelling?
In this case study-based session, playwright Christian O’Reilly and disability activist and facilitator Peter Kearns reflect on the development of No Magic Pill and their experience of working within disability-led theatre practice.
Let’s Write a Play
With Lena Byrne
July 4, 2026 at 9:30:00 AM
Workshop - Kids
Children are invited to join Lena Byrne for an energetic playwriting workshop where they will mix together the main ingredients for a play – set the scene, identify the characters and start writing!
Watch ideas burst into life as you create exciting stories and unforgettable adventures. Whether you dream of being a hero, a villain or something in between, this is your chance to bring your imagination to the stage.
Breakfast Bites
with Mark O’ Rowe
July 5, 2026 at 9:00:00 AM
Breakfast Conversation
ne of Ireland’s most distinctive writing voices, Mark O'Rowe joins us for an intimate morning of conversation and reflection on the craft of writing for stage and screen.
Known for his razor-sharp dialogue and compelling storytelling, his acclaimed work spans theatre, film and television, including celebrated scripts such as Howie the Rookie, Intermission and Terminus.