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theatre · Friday 17 July 2026 · Various 
The Brightening Air
At Gate Theatre · 1 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Co. Dublin
At Gate Theatre · 1 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Co. Dublin
Conor McPherson’s new play arrives at the Gate Theatre this summer - a ghost story of sorts, rooted in the Irish landscape and the particular weight of family. Written and directed by McPherson, whose previous work includes The Weir and Girl from the North Country, The Brightening Air premiered at London’s Old Vic in 2025 to strong notices before transferring here. It is the kind of play that suits the Gate’s intimate 370-seat auditorium well: close enough to feel the silences, small enough to feel the dread.
The play is set in a rural Irish homestead in the 1980s. Adult siblings Billie and Stephen have carved out a quiet, semi-functional life in the family home, until the arrival of their excommunicated uncle, Fr Pierre, and an estranged brother, Dermot, starts pulling at threads best left alone. Hidden forces surface. Consequences follow.
The cast is one of the strongest assembled at the Gate in recent years: Derbhle Crotty, Seán McGinley, Aisling Kearns, Brian Gleeson, Judith Roddy, and Kate Gilmore are all on stage, and Chris O’Dowd makes his Gate debut reprising his role from the Old Vic run. Rae Smith’s design work and Gregory Clarke’s sound design both travelled from London with the production.
Evening performances begin at 7:30pm, with the café and bar open from 6:30pm. Matinees start at 2:00pm. The run is a long one - previews from 17 July through to 30 August - so there is plenty of opportunity to pick a date that suits.
The Gate sits on Cavendish Row at the top of O’Connell Street, directly opposite the Garden of Remembrance. It is as central as Dublin gets. The Luas Red Line stops at Abbey Street, a five-minute walk south. Dublin Bus serves O’Connell Street with frequent services from across the city and suburbs, and the theatre is a short walk from both Connolly Station and Busáras for those arriving by intercity train or coach. On-street parking in the area is metered and limited on evenings; Q-Park on Parnell Street is the most practical option if you are driving.
The Gate sits between the Georgian northside and the busier tourist corridor of O’Connell Street, which puts you within easy reach of the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Writers Museum on Parnell Square, and the Garden of Remembrance. A short walk south brings you to Trinity College and Temple Bar. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Gate Theatre 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.