by Saoirse Anton

As I sit writing this, a beam of winter sunshine is streaming through the window, warming my face and giving an air of Spring. Just don’t open the window because it is still freezing out there – I may be sitting in a patch of sunshine this afternoon, but this morning I was defrosting my car before I headed out for the day. Of course I was, it’s February. St Brigid’s Day and patches of snowdrops bring welcome promises of Spring, but we have a little way to go yet before we reach warmer days and the grand stretch.

In the meantime, why not fill a rainy afternoon or a dark evening with a trip to the theatre? Our stages play host to a wealth of interesting shows this month (as they do every month!) and I’ve rounded up a few recommendations for you to check out this February.

Accents

After a successful run back in 2022, Emmet Kirwan’s play Accents is back on the road. With upcoming dates in Limerick, Cork and Galway this month, this is a show I’ve been wanting to catch ever since it first hit the stage almost three years ago. Inspired by the birth of Kirwan’s first child, Accents uses Kirwan’s poetry and music by the late Eoin French to explore the sounds of our voices, how they define us, how we are perceived, and how they can give us power.

Accents runs at the Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick from the 13-14th Feb, at the Everman Theatre, Cork from 18-19th Feb, and at The Town Hall Theatre Galway on the 21st Feb.

The Last Pearl

The fourth in a series of devised works from Blue Raincoat Theatre Company (but a stand-alone work that can be enjoyed in its own right), The Last Pearl promises to be a captivating evening’s storytelling. Utilising Bunraku Japanese puppetry, shadow puppetry and an intricate soundscape, the show tells the story of M, a pearl diver and her attempts to adapt to an ever-changing and increasingly challenging world.

The Last Pearl is on tour from 13th Feb to 1st March 2025.

MILK مِلْك

A pertinent play for our times, MILK مِلْك asks us how humanity copes with disaster, and who and what are left in its aftermath. The play does not explore the causes or consequences of disasters, but rather its effect on time, dividing it two – before and after. It premiered in Palestine, a country grappling with these questions more than most. Reflecting on the work, which premiered in 2022, its creators Bashar Murkus and Khulood Basel commented that “Three years ago, we thought we had succeeded in MILK مِلْك in creating a “theatrical poem about what wars leave behind.” But over the past three years, as “real wars” have crushed people before our eyes and stolen everything they love, we have come to realise how incapable theatre is of capturing even a single moment of war.”

MILK مِلْك runs at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin from 20th Feb to 1st March 2025.

Becoming Maggie

From tragedy to comedy, the next play on our list is quite different, A comedy about marriage, jealousy and John B. Keane, Becoming Maggie centres around a fraught production of Big Maggie. Described by the Reviews Hub as “acerbic, hilarious and deeply real,” this show promises to delight theatre goers with its tangled tale of questionable casting, marital woes and fraught theatrics.

Becoming Maggie runs at The New Theatre, Temple Bar from 25th Feb to 1st March 2025.

Not a Word

An unusual piece that invites its audience to sit with a silent man on an unexceptional evening, Brú Theatre’s Not A Word promises to bring its audience an exceptional evening, even if its main characters’ one isn’t. Performed by Raymond Keane to live electronic music by Ultan O’Brien, this production played to excellent reviews over the past two years.

Not A Word runs at Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar from 11th - 13th Feb 2025.

Men’s Business

An unconventional Valentine’s Day option, Glass Mask Theatre is staging the world premiere of Tony and Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens’ new version of Franz Xavier Kroetz’s rarely performed Mannersache. Based in the back room of a butcher’s shop with a pair of chalk and cheese characters, this is not your usual love story.

Men’s Business runs at Bestseller Cafe, Dawson Street from 11th Feb to 1st March 2025.

And if none of these take your fancy? Try something else! Head down to your local venue, pick up a programme and see what piques your interest. Spring is a time for new beginnings, so take your seats and find a new theatrical treat to enjoy this February.