ANU Productions and The National Archives of Ireland are proud to announce The Good Luck Club, a new off site theatre production marking the centenary of Ireland’s 1926 Census. Commissioned as part of the National Archives’ year-long commemorative programme to mark the release of the 1926 Census records, this intimate and immersive experience will be staged within the historic National Archives building on Bishop Street from 27th May 2026 to 14th June 2026 – the first time a theatrical production has ever been mounted in the historical building.

Written and directed by Louise Lowe, with design and scenography by Owen Boss, The Good Luck Club is a commission by the National Archives and is created specifically for the landmark institution. The production invites audiences to step inside the living fabric of Ireland’s past, moving through the building in small groups, exploring rarely accessed spaces and encountering a series of vivid, human stories drawn from archival records. Blending performance, participation and historical testimony, the production illuminates the social landscape of Ireland in 1926 – a nation finding its footing in the early years of independence.

The production features an ensemble cast including Ghaliah Conroy, John Cronin, Libby Conway Dunne, Maeve Fitzgerald, Oliver Flitcroft, Jack Hassett, Pattie Maguire, Ciara Molloy and Jamie O’Neill.

Taking direct inspiration from the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake – the hugely popular lottery initiative that captured the public’s imagination in the early 20th century – The Good Luck Club examines themes of chance, aspiration and survival, stepping inside the gilded machinery of the infamous Sweepstakes, where the desperate hope meets the calculations of the new post war Ireland. Through personal stories unearthed from the census and historical records, the production will meaningfully excavate early 20th Century Ireland and how a country was built on a ticket and a prayer.