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theatre · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · 8:00pm 
Steel Magnolias
At Mullingar Arts Centre · Lower Mount Street, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
At Mullingar Arts Centre · Lower Mount Street, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Mullingar Arts Centre’s autumn drama programme continues with Steel Magnolias, running for three nights from Tuesday, 15 to Thursday, 17 September 2026. Robert Harling’s play, later made into the well-known 1989 film, is set entirely inside a small-town Louisiana beauty salon, where six women share gossip, grief and support through weddings, illness and everyday life. It is a long-standing favourite with amateur drama groups for its sharp dialogue and strong female ensemble cast.
The whole play unfolds in Truvy’s home salon, where the local women gather for their regular wash and set. The action moves between comedy and real heartbreak as the friendship between the six central characters is tested by a serious illness in the group, all played out against the backdrop of ordinary small-town chat about husbands, weddings and family. It is an ensemble piece rather than a star vehicle, built for a cast of six women who carry the whole show between them. Mullingar Arts Centre’s main house seats 407 with retractable seating, giving a close view of a play that depends on quick, overlapping dialogue landing clearly.
Mullingar Arts Centre is on Lower Mount Street in Mullingar town centre, a short walk from the Market Square. Mullingar railway station, on the Dublin to Sligo Irish Rail line, and the town’s main bus stops on the Dublin and Athlone routes are both close by, with street parking available nearby.
The arts centre is right in the middle of town, so there is time to grab dinner or browse the shops before the show. There is more to see and do in Mullingar and across Co. Westmeath.
Heading to Mullingar Arts Centre in Mullingar? Westmeath has plenty more to see. Read the Mullingar area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.