Acting royalty takes centre stage in Dublin, Kerry and Galway this August as legendary actress Kate O’Toole takes on the role of narrator for The Playboy of the Western World – The Musical.

This mischievous, musical adaptation of Synge's classic is being presented outdoors under canvas, in the style of a 1950's theatrical fit-up!

Joining Kate will be 15 other actors and musicians for this raucous and rollicking reworking of Synge’s classic play which is set in a radio studio in 1959 during a live broadcast, with the cast, dubbed the Atlantic Broadcasting Corporation, playing actors performing The Playboy of The Western World as a radio play. The result is an unmissable mélange of musical and theatrical genres. This outdoor, tented performance is sure to be one of the cultural highlights of the summer months.

Adapted by Diarmuid de Faoite & Justin McCarthy (with music also by Justin) and directed by Hillary Kavanagh The Playboy of the Western World – The Musical boasts a full band, two foley artists with vintage-style sound effects including half doors, jugs of water and a manual wind-up wind machine.

This is a contemporary reimagining of a classic Irish play. The storyline remains true to the original but is condensed through song and narrative to highlight the drama and wealth of language. The music, all original, evolves through the last 50 years of popular music (from country and western to heavy metal).

The cast features wealth of home grown talent including Aine Ni Droighnean, Eilis McCarthy, Eoin Ó Dubhghaill, Daniel Guinanne, Fia Rua, Fred McCloskey, Helen Gregg, Muireann Ní Reaghaillaigh, Philip Sweeney, and featuring special guest Kate O'Toole as the narrator.

The Stooks – the live band features Charlie Fowler, Cormac Dunne, Jimmy Fitz and Justin McCarthy.