Druid Theatre today announced a double bill of J. M. Synge’s Riders to the Sea and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth at The Mick Lally Theatre in Galway this July to mark their 50th anniversary as part of Galway International Arts Festival.
Riders to the Sea and Macbeth runs from 7-26 July 2025 at the Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane. Tickets from €25-€35 go on sale on Friday 9 May.
In Riders to the Sea, the first production
in the summer double bill, J. M. Synge concentrates the lyricism of the
West of Ireland and the majesty of the Atlantic Ocean into a short
one-act of pure theatre. This miniature masterpiece is a swirling tour
de force of Celtic paganism, the earthly struggles of life, and the
desperate stretch of humanity towards the heavens. 20 years on from the
formative play cycle DruidSynge (2005), which included Riders to the Sea,
Druid co-founders and Tony Award winners Garry Hynes and Marie Mullen
return to the work of one of Ireland’s greatest playwrights for this new
production. Further casting to be announced
For the second production of the double bill, Macbeth, Druid will bring their visceral and uniquely Irish perspective to one of Shakespeare’s fiercest and bloodiest tragedies. Garry Hynes will direct a cast led by Marty Rea as Macbeth and Marie Mullen as Lady Macbeth, with further casting to be announced. Macbeth follows Druid’s internationally acclaimed DruidShakespeare (2015) and Richard III (2018), continuing the company’s exploration of the Bard’s canon, “a mad dynamic pageant of fire, blood, guts and spunk” (Irish Examiner on DruidShakespeare).
Druid is one of only a handful of professional Irish theatre companies to reach their 50th anniversary. Founded by Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen and the late Mick Lally, Druid began in the summer of 1975 with a three-day season of work in Galway at the Jesuit Hall in Salthill: a performance of J. M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World on Thursday 3 July, a performance of Kevin Laffan’s It’s a Two-Foot-Six-Inches-Above-the-Ground World on Friday 4 July, and a performance of Brian Friel’s The Loves of Cass McGuire on Saturday 5 July. 50 years later, the company will find themselves in rehearsals for the double bill of Riders to the Sea and Macbeth on the exact anniversary date, Thursday 3 July 2025.
Garry Hynes, Druid’s Co-Founder and Artistic Director: ‘It’s not lost on me how lucky we all are at Druid to have made it to this milestone. When Marie, Mick and I founded the company in 1975, we could never have imagined reaching our 50th anniversary. There are so many people to thank for helping us along the way but I’d like to especially thank the people of Galway for their belief in us since day one, as well as our audiences far and wide – because it’s not theatre until someone’s watching. I also wish to pay tribute to the Druids who have left us including co-founder Mick Lally, former artistic director Maelíosa Stafford and former general manager and my dear brother Jerome Hynes. I look forward to sharing these new productions of Riders to the Sea and Macbeth with audiences here in Ireland in the coming months.’
Paul Fahy, GIAF’s Artistic. Director: ‘We are delighted to work with Druid once again this summer as they mark the incredible milestone of their 50th anniversary. Without question Druid are one of the world’s great theatre companies, with a brilliant ensemble at its heart and the visionary direction of the great Garry Hynes. We are hugely excited to present this double of Riders to the Sea and Macbeth and we wish the company the very best this year. How lucky are we in Galway to have had this great company in the city over the last 50 years.’
Riders to the Sea and Macbeth runs as a double bill from 7-26 July 2025 at the Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane as part of Galway International Arts Festival. Tickets from €25-€35 go on sale on Friday 9 May.
Galway International Arts Festival 2025 runs from 14-27 July 2025. GIAF is an annual celebration of the arts, featuring a diverse programme of events, including music, theatre, visual arts and more. It brings together local and international artists to showcase their talent, creating a vibrant cultural experience for audiences of all ages.
Galway International Arts Festival would like to acknowledge the support of its principal funding agencies the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland; its Drinks Partner Heineken®; and Education Partner University of Galway.
