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theatre · Sunday 20 September 2026 · 7:30pm 
Rough Magic Theatre - New Season
At Project Arts Centre · 39 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
At Project Arts Centre · 39 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Rough Magic have been making ambitious, intelligent theatre in Dublin since 1984, and their autumn season at Project Arts Centre is one of the more reliable fixtures on the city’s cultural calendar. The company was founded by graduates of Trinity College Dublin and UCD - among them director Lynne Parker, who has led the company for decades - and from the start their reputation was built on work that takes audiences seriously. If you want a theatre night that rewards attention, this is it. The run suits anyone who follows Irish theatre, as well as visitors who want to experience the best of what Dublin stages can offer.
Rough Magic draw from three broad areas: new Irish writing, reimagined classics, and contemporary international work. Across 149 productions they have delivered 46 world premieres and 26 Irish premieres, and they regularly win Irish Times Theatre Awards. The autumn season at Project Arts Centre runs three weeks, from 20 September to 10 October, with shows at 7:30pm. Specific titles and dates for the run should be confirmed at roughmagic.ie before you book, as programming across a three-week season typically varies by night. Post-show talks are often scheduled alongside the run - worth checking ahead if that kind of conversation appeals to you.
Project Arts Centre itself is a purpose-built two-auditorium venue on East Essex Street, opened in 2000 on the site the company has occupied since the 1970s. It has a bar on site and a gallery space, and the atmosphere is relaxed rather than formal.
The venue is at 39 East Essex Street in Temple Bar, a two-minute walk from the Ha’penny Bridge and roughly five minutes from Trinity College on foot. Dublin Bus routes serve the quays and Dame Street, both very close. The Luas Red Line stops at Jervis (a ten-minute walk across the river) and the Green Line stops at St Stephen’s Green. If you are coming by car, the nearest multi-storey car parks are at Drury Street and Christchurch - street parking in Temple Bar on an evening is limited.
Temple Bar is compact and easy to walk, with galleries, food markets, and traditional music pubs within a few minutes of the venue. A night at Project Arts Centre fits naturally around dinner beforehand or a drink afterwards in the area. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Project Arts Centre in Dublin? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Dublin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.