HAY! Presented By Lyngo Theatre

What to Expect

“HAY!,” presented by Lyngo Theatre, is a 50-minute family show for ages 3 and up, playing Ballina Arts Centre on Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 10:30am. The company builds the whole story around a single spoken word, “hay,” used as the foundation for a tale about a scarecrow coming to life. The show blends puppetry, clowning, song and dance around themes of growing up, embracing diversity, and finding the confidence to spread your wings, described by the company as being about learning to “live your dreams” and “fly like the birds.”

The mid-morning weekday slot makes this a natural pick for parents and childminders looking for a school-holiday activity, and the short running time keeps it well suited to younger attention spans. Lyngo Theatre is known for visual, largely wordless physical theatre aimed at young children, so the show relies more on movement, puppetry and music than on dialogue, making it accessible even for children who are not yet confident readers or English speakers.

The scarecrow-comes-to-life premise gives the performers a simple, visual hook to build the whole show around, with the puppetry work doing most of the storytelling rather than any spoken plot. Teachers bringing school groups can attend free of charge, making this one of the more affordable options on the venue’s autumn family programme for creche and primary groups looking for a first theatre outing.

Good to Know

• Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 10:30am.
• Venue: Ballina Arts Centre, Barrett Street, Ballina, Co. Mayo.
• Tickets are EUR 6 for adults and children, plus a booking fee; EUR 6 for students, and free for accompanying teachers.
• Running time approximately 50 minutes.
• Recommended for children aged 3 and up.
• Falls during the October mid-term school break, so booking ahead is advised.

Getting There

Ballina Arts Centre is on Barrett Street in Ballina town centre, near the town’s main car parks. Ballina has regular Bus Éireann services from Castlebar and Sligo.