Following a sold-out premiere in Limerick, Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party, a darkly funny and emotionally resonant new Irish play, will open its nationwide tour with a three-night return run at the Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick, from September 11.
The production will then visit nine venues across the country playing at Dún Laoghaire, Sligo, Longford, Galway, Cork, Ennis Portlaoise, Waterford and Tralee.
Penned by Limerick playwright Liam McCarthy and directed by Joan Sheehy, the play follows Jack, whose brief, passionate kiss in the downstairs toilet at a Limerick City party in 1983 becomes a moment he can never forget.
Spanning four decades of longing, memory and regret, Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party is a powerful exploration of how one fleeting encounter can reverberate throughout a lifetime.
This compelling two-hander is brought to life by Pat Ryan (Jack) and Georgina Miller (Kate), whose performances have been widely praised for their emotional depth and chemistry. Their nuanced portrayals infuse the story with warmth, wit and complexity, as the narrative moves seamlessly through time and memory.
Inspired by Chekhov’s The Kiss, McCarthy reimagines the story with contemporary theatricality, blending humour and poignancy into a rich portrait of obsession, change and the stories we carry with us.
Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party brings together an impressive creative team. The play is written by Limerick playwright Liam McCarthy and directed by the award-winning Joan Sheehy.
The visual and technical world of the production is shaped by Paul Keogan (set and lighting design) and Tom Lane (sound design), while Gemma Morris provides costume design.
Dramaturg Darren Murphy has guided the development of the script, and Myles Breen contributes to the physical movement of the piece.
Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party plays at Lime Tree Theatre from Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 September. Tickets from https://limetreebelltable.ie/
