The Plough and the Stars was first performed at the Abbey Theatre in 1926. The audience rioted. Now regarded as a masterpiece, this provocative play is an essential part of our understanding of 1916. Recently performed during the centenary of the Easter Rising, Olivier Award-winning director Sean Holmes returns with this production of Sean O’Casey’s absorbing play. Set amid the tumult of the Easter Rising, The Plough and the Stars is the story of ordinary lives ripped apart by the idealism of the time. The residents of a Dublin tenement shelter from the violence that sweeps through t

Written by Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences. Few musicals have received quite such acclaim as the multi-award winning Blood Brothers. Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End, one of only five musicals ever to achieve that milestone. It has been affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’, as inevitably it “brings the audience cheering to its feet and roaring its a

Sm(All) Folk Festival returns to Axis (March 2026) with a joyful programme of theatre created especially for children and young audiences. Packed with playful, imaginative and engaging performances, the festival celebrates big ideas for small people. Sm(All) Folk is about opening the doors wide – offering welcoming, accessible and affordable shows so that children of all backgrounds and abilities can experience the magic of live theatre and the spark of imagination.