This week we are transported to Dublin, just in time for St Patrick’s Day. Listen in as BPA Operations Manager Siobhán Maguire chats about life in Ireland with longtime friend and collaborator Jim Culleton, Artistic Director of Fishamble: The New Play Company. 

JIM CULLETON

Jim Culleton is the artistic director of Fishamble: The New Play Company, for which he has directed productions on tour throughout Ireland, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US. His productions for Fishamble have won many Irish and international awards, including Olivier, The Stage, Scotsman Fringe First, and Irish Times Best Director awards. 

Jim has also directed for Audible, the Abbey, the Gaiety, the Belgrade, 7:84 Scotland, Project, Amharclann de hÍde, Tinderbox, The Passion Machine, the Ark, Second Age, Dundee Rep, Draíocht, CoisCéim/Crash Ensemble/GIAF, RTÉ Radio 1, Frontline Defenders, Amnesty International, Little Museum of Dublin, Fighting Words, RTÉ lyric fm, Soho Theatre, Scripts Festival, Vessel and APA (Australia), TNL (Canada), Solas Nua and Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Odyssey (LA), Origin, Irish Arts Center and 59E59 (Off-Broadway), as well as for Trafalgar Theatre Productions on the West End, and IAC/Symphony Space on Broadway. Jim has taught for NYU, NUI, GSA, Uversity, the Lir, Villanova, Notre Dame, UM, UMD, and TCD. 

Fishamble’s Pat Kinevane and Jim Culleton after winning an Olivier Award for SILENT

SIOBHÁN MAGUIRE

Born and raised in Ireland, Siobhán has been a professional Theatre Practitioner for over twenty years, and has a wealth of experience as a producer and venue manager. For BPA she has produced The Tempest (Islandwood), Twelfth Night (Bloedel) and A Midsummer's Night Dream (Bloedel). She is also responsible for creating the popular Irish Play Series at BPA.

FISHAMBLE: THE NEW PLAY COMPANY

Fishamble is an Irish theatre company that is passionate about discovering, developing and producing new plays of national importance with a global reach, while championing the role of the playwright. It harnesses the imaginative power of theatre to provide audiences with a diverse range of contemporary, compelling and heartfelt dramatic works, and typically supports over 50% of the writers of all new plays produced on the island of Ireland each year. Fishamble thinks nationally and reaches globally, touring its productions to audiences throughout Ireland, and the world. Visit online at www.fishamble.com.

President Higgins congratulating Fishamble’s Jim Culleton and Pat Kinevane on their Olivier Award win

“During the three decades since your establishment you have received acclaim at home and on the international stage, garnering many prestigious awards. You have also staged many brave and groundbreaking plays which have challenged, surprised and delighted audiences around the world. As you look back over thirty years of artistic endeavor you have much to regard with pride.
I wish you every success as you continue to nurture new and emerging talent, and to introduce another generation of theatre goers to truly innovative drama, theatre and performance.” — PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS, PRESIDENT OF IRELAND 2011 – PRESENT CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
“ON BLUEBERRY HILL” IS NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIBLE!

On Blueberry Hill by Irish Fiction Laureate and award-winning writer Sebastian Barry
Directed By Jim Culleton | Produced by Fishamble: The New Play Company
Now available on AUDIBLE

“Fishamble is to be congratulated on bringing original material to the public. It is ploughing in a risky furrow to produce fresh, innovative and modern Irish writing for the theatre. I wish the company continuing success.” — MARY MCALEESE, PRESIDENT OF IRELAND 1997 – 2011

Above: Fishamble’s EMBARGO by Deirdre Kinahan; Photo by Anthony Woods

FISHAMBLE: THE NEW PLAY COMPANY IS SUPPORTED BY: