Following a sold-out Off-Broadway debut and hailed as a New York Times Critics Pick, award-winning Irish theatre collective MALAPROP brings its bold, genre-defying production HOTHOUSE to the Lime Tree Theatre on Thursday June 5.
Set aboard a surreal Arctic cruise liner, HOTHOUSE is a riotous and poignant exploration of climate breakdown told through a whirlwind of cabaret, satire, and theatrical storytelling.
The show, directed by Claire O’Reilly and written by Carys D. Coburn in collaboration with MALAPROP, confronts the ecological crisis with biting humour, striking visuals, and moments of raw emotional resonance.
Audiences are taken on an intergenerational voyage where the ship’s eccentric captain steers through a century of Irish history and beyond, flanked by singing birds, tragicomic passengers, and a climate in collapse. Through multiple timelines—from 1969 to a speculative future—the narrative reckons with how we love, grieve, and try to change in the face of overwhelming odds.
With standout performances from a stellar cast including Bláithín MacGabhann, Maeve O’Mahony, Thommas Kane Byrne, and Peter Corboy, and accompanied by Anna Clock’s inventive musical score, HOTHOUSE is both “deadly serious and wild fun” (The Irish Times) and “an exuberantly inventive cruise trip across the climate crisis” (The Guardian).
The production features four ISL-interpreted performances nationwide, including in Limerick, led by deaf artist Lianne Quigley and a team of interpreters.
The world premiere of HOTHOUSE was slated for THISISPOPBABY’s Where We Live Festival in March 2020 and was postponed due to Covid-19. MALAPROP has toured work to New York, the UK, France, Beijing, Darwin, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Founded in 2015, Past productions include LOVE+, BlackCatfishMusketeer, Everything Not Saved, and Where Sat the Lovers. HOTHOUSE marks another major milestone in their international touring success.
