Louth storytellers bring streets to life with new theatre experience

This August, Droichead Youth Theatre invites audiences to experience Drogheda in a completely new way with Dear Drogheda, an original promenade theatre performance created by the young members of the youth theatre.

Taking place on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August, audiences will journey on foot through the heart of Drogheda, stopping at six locations where original scenes inspired by the town's people, places and history will unfold around them.

Directed by Christina Matthews in collaboration with the imaginations of Droichead Youth Theatre members, Dear Drogheda transforms familiar streets into stages, with moments of humour, memory, mystery and imagination hidden within the town.

Many of these stories have been inspired by true events, told by some of the many collaborators who came in and worked with Droichead Youth Theatre on this project. Other scenes have been inspired by images of the town or the mythology from the area.

Over the course of our summer intensive programme, the young people met with local historians, artists, activists and storytellers, uncovering forgotten histories, family memories, myths and personal connections to Drogheda.

Drawing on these conversations, as well as old photographs, local folklore and their own imaginations, the members of Droichead Youth Theatre devised and wrote an original promenade performance that celebrates the town's rich past, vibrant present and boundless capacity for future rejuvenation.

Dear Drogheda Producer, Annie Hoey says, "Dear Drogheda is a celebration of this town and the people who make it what it is. Our young people have spent the summer listening to stories, asking questions and looking at familiar places in their town with fresh eyes. The result is a performance that is funny, moving and full of the heart of the young people who wrote it. We hope audiences leave seeing Drogheda a little differently, along with thinking about what possible future our town could have."

Beginning at Barlow House, small audience groups will be guided through the town by our nerdy tour guides, encountering performances beneath ancient arches, beside public artworks and in spaces many pass every day without a second glance. The performance lasts approximately 50 minutes and is fully guided throughout.

Dear Drogheda is the latest original production from Droichead Youth Theatre, offering young performers the opportunity to create ambitious, site-specific work while inviting audiences to see their town from a fresh perspective.

Whether you're a lifelong resident or visiting Drogheda for the first time, Dear Drogheda is an invitation to slow down, take a look around your town, and discover the stories that can emerge from the places that we pass every day.

Dear Drogheda Presented by Droichead Youth Theatre

Dates: Saturday 15 August & Sunday 16 August

Performance Times:

• 11.00 am
• 11.15 am
• 11.30 am
• 2.00 pm
• 2.15 pm
• 2.30 pm

Starting Point: Barlow House, Drogheda

Duration: Approximately 55 minutes

Tickets: Available from Droichead Arts Centre. https://www.droichead.com/show-detail/?id=873689399