Show in a Bag Artists (L-R, clockwise): Fionn Foley, Sarah-Jane Scott, John Connors and Lauren Larkin
Show in a Bag is an artist development initiative of Dublin Fringe Festival, Fishamble: The New Play Company and Irish Theatre Institute to resource theatre makers and actors. The first Show in a Bag initiative was established in 2010 to facilitate the creation of five new small scale, tourable shows which would highlight the talents and skills of performers making work for the Dublin Fringe Festival.
An open call for expressions of interest is made following which interviews are conducted and the actors are selected. Created with playwright/ dramaturg Gavin Kostick to the artists’ specifications, Show in a Bag provides actors with the opportunity to have their very own small-scale, tourable show. Selected actors, or pairs of actors, produce and perform their own productions at Bewley’s Café Theatre as part of Dublin Fringe Festival.
2018 SIAB Productions:
Appropriate by Sarah Jane Scott
Brendan Galileo For Europe by Fionn Foley
Ireland’s Call by John Connors
Split Ends by Lauren Larkin
This is such a wonderful opportunity in the most supportive environment imaginable. Apply if you haven’t already. Eric O’Brien, SIAB 2015
Charolais was nurtured here! Actors if you have an idea for a play you really should check this out. Brilliant work. Noni Stapleton, SIAB 2014
Dublin Oldschool came from this amazing initiative. You don’t need to write it. It’s all part of the #SIAB plan! Emmet Kirwan, SIAB 2014
Amazing opportunity for actors. #DublinOldschool sprung from this great scheme. Get involved! Philly McMahon, SIAB 2014
The Show in a Bag series is one of the strongest facets in the Tiger Dublin Fringe. Sarah Keating, The Irish Times
Previous Show in a Bag Productions:
2017
• Kicking All the Boxes – Liz Fitzgibbon
• My Left Nut – Michael Patrick (Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award Dublin Fringe 2017)
• Take Off Your Cornflakes – Rose Henderson & Pat Nolan
• Walk For Me – Kate Stanley Brennan
2016
- Looking Deadly – Niamh McGrath & Keith Singleton
- The Humours of Bandon – Margaret McAuliffe
(Nominated for Best Performer Award, Winner of Bewley’s Little Gem Award, Tiger Dublin Fringe 2016) - The Wickedness of Oz – Kate Gilmore
- To Hell in a Handbag – Helen Norton & Jonathan White
2015
- Sure Thing – Eric O’Brien & Jed Murray
- Rebel Rebel – Robbie O’Connor & Aisling O’Mara
(Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award, Tiger Dublin Fringe 2015) - The Auld Fella – Michael Glenn Murphy
- The Matador – Shane O’Reilly
(Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award, Tiger Dublin Fringe 2015)
2014
- Dublin Oldschool – Emmet Kirwan & Ian Lloyd Anderson
(Winner of the Stewart Parker Trust Major Bursary Award 2014; winner of Best Performers Award, Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award, Nominated for First Fortnight Award in Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival 2014) - The Centre of the Universe – John Doran
- Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell – Adapted and Performed by Phelim Drew
(Nominated for Best Performer Award, Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award, Tiger Dublin Fringe 2014)
- Charolais – Noni Stapleton
(Winner of the Stewart Parker Trust Major Bursary Award 2015; Winner of Bewley’s Little Gem Award at Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival 2014; Nominated for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize)
2013
- Beowulf: The Blockbuster! – Bryan Burroughs
(Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award in Dublin Fringe Festival 2013) - Counter Culture – Katie O’Kelly
- SWING – Janet Moran and Steve Blount
(Winner of Bewley’s Little Gem Award & nominated for Best Female Performer & Best Male Performer at Dublin Fringe Festival 2013) - Small Plastic Wars – Pat McGrath
(Nominated for Bewley’s Little Gem Award and First Fortnight Award at Dublin Fringe Festival 2013)
2012
- Black Wednesday – Dee Burke
- Payback! – Marion O’Dwyer & Maria McDermottroe
- U-R-Hamlet – Conor Madden
- Sequin Dreams – Michele Moran
- Bandit – Brian O’Riordan
2011
- The Wheelchair on my Face – Sonya Kelly
(Edinburgh Fringe First Award 2012, Critic’s pick in The New York Times 2013) - Pocket Music – Donncha O’Dea & Camille Ross
(Winner of Bewley’s Café Theatre Little Gem Award at ABSOLUT Fringe 2011) - It’s your turn to Change Daddy – Anthony Morris
- Last Year – Maeve McGrath
- That’s about the Size of It – Niamh Shaw
2010
- An Irish Psaltar – Eimear O’Grady
- Connected – Karl Quinn & Will Irvine
Nominated for Bewley’s Café Theatre Little Gem Award at ABSOLUT Fringe 2010) - Fight Night – Aonghus Óg McAnally
(Winner Best Male Performer & Bewley’s Café Theatre Little Gem Award at ABSOLUT Fringe 2010) - Love + Fury: The Passion of Jonathan Swift – David Heap
- The Sit – John Cronin & Caitríona Ní Mhurchú
(Nominated for Bewley’s Café Theatre Little Gem Award & Best Male Performer at ABSOLUT Fringe 2010)
