Blood in the Alley Theatre Company in association with Cork County Council and The Arts Council presents
West Cork
7th July - 2nd August 2026
One of Ireland’s favourite summertime theatre festivals returns with four weeks of exceptional theatre across
West Cork and ten days of unmissable performances in Ballydehob.
Tickets
€17.50 Single Ticket
€60 *Family Ticket (2 adults 2 teens)
All tickets on the door
(unless stated otherwise)
Island Performances
Ferry not included in the ticket price.
All Ferries leave at 7PM
and return that evening
at 10PM.
Ballydehob Shows
Pre-booked shows booked through
Bridie at the Ballydehob Post Office
Tel: 028 37110
Limited availability so please arrive early. Doors open 30 minutes before performance commences.
*Note - Family Ticket does not include pre-booked plays.
WEEK 1 · 7th to 12th July · Mary’s Hopes & Dreams
Mary’s Hopes and Dreams
Presented by Hubcap Theatre
Written, Directed, and Performed by Michael Ryan & Seán Kelleher
Age Suitability: 14+ | Running Time: 85 min | No Interval
After performing ‘The Parish’ in over 70 venues nationwide, the boys return with ‘Mary’s Hopes and Dreams.’ A delightful comedy about life in a rural community.
The story unfolds with a large cast of colourful characters including cattle dealers, tennis players, greyhound trainers, 80’s Pop Stars and the much loved Two Mary’s!
Using Hubcap’s unique brand of visual comedy and characterisation, the audience will delight in madcap moments of slapstick, rap, mime, song, dance, martial arts and swimming!
Dates & Venues
Tuesday 7th July · 8pm · Island Cottage, Heir Island
Wednesday 8th July · 8pm · Kilcrohane Community Hall
Thursday 9th July · 8pm · Glengarriff Community Hall
Friday 10th July · 8pm · Bank House, Whiddy Island
Saturday 11th July · 8pm · Lecture Theatre, Bere Island
Sunday 12th July · 8pm · Ballydehob Community Hall
Tickets
€17.50 Single Ticket
€60 Family Ticket (2 adults 2 teens)
Note – Family Ticket does not include pre-booked plays
All tickets on the door (unless stated otherwise)
Island Performances
Ferry not included in the ticket price.
Ferries leave at 7PM and return that evening at 10PM.
WEEK 2 · 14th to 19th July · Word Against The Word
Word Against The Word
Written and Performed by Keith Dunphy
Directed by Aoife Monks
Age Suitability: 14+ | Running Time: 70 min | No Interval
“An insight into a different world”
Keith left Waterford in 1996 to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art in London. Funded by his hometown, he dreams of performing Shakespeare in his own accent.
Word Against The Word is a one-man play exploring how a working-class Irish actor with dyslexia navigates show business, hoping but never knowing if he’ll ever get to play the king that once visited Waterford – Richard II.
The play weaves through Keith’s relationship with his nationality,
dyslexia and classical theatre. It sets his life growing up and becoming an actor while still unable to read, against Richard’s speech as he sailed up the River Suir in 1399.
Dates & Venues
Tuesday 14th July · 8pm · Glengarriff Community Hall
Wednesday 15th July · 8pm · Kilcrohane Community Hall
Thursday 16th July · 8pm · Timoleague Community Hall
Friday 17th July · 8pm · Sherkin Community Hall
Saturday 18th July · 8pm · Lecture Theatre, Bere Island
Sunday 19th July · 8pm · Ballydehob Community Hall
Tickets
€17.50 Single Ticket
€60 Family Ticket (2 adults 2 teens)
Note – Family Ticket does not include pre-booked plays
All tickets on the door (unless stated otherwise)
Island Performances
Ferry not included in the ticket price.
Ferries leave at 7PM and return that evening at 10PM.
WEEK 3 · 21st to 26th July · Catalpa
Catalpa
Presented by Blood in the Alley Productions
Written by Donal O’Kelly
Directed by Geoff Gould
Performed by Andrew Musselman
Age Suitability: 14+ | Running Time: 80 mins | No Interval
The 150 Anniversary of The Catalpa Rescue
The award-winning play Catalpa follows the true story of a band of
Fenians and their audacious prison break from the colonial prison in
Freemantle, Australia.
While the story takes place in 1875, we see it unfold through the eyes of Mathew Kidd, a present-day screenwriter whose lifelong dream is to make a movie based on the rescue mission.
Full of intrigue, suspense and a tour-de-force solo performance in which one actor plays over twenty different characters, Catalpa is a theatrical thrill ride!
Dates & Venues
Tuesday 21st July · 8pm · Island Cottage, Heir Island
Wednesday 22nd July · 8pm · Kilcrohane Community Hall
Thursday 23rd July · 8pm · Timoleague Community Hall
Friday 24th July · 8pm · Sherkin Community Hall
Saturday 25th July · 8pm · Lecture Theatre, Bere Island
Sunday 26th July · 8pm · Ballydehob Community Hall
Tickets
€17.50 Single Ticket
€60 Family Ticket (2 adults 2 teens)
Note – Family Ticket does not include pre-booked plays
All tickets on the door (unless stated otherwise)
Island Performances
Ferry not included in the ticket price.
Ferries leave at 7PM and return that evening at 10PM.
WEEK 4 · 28th July to 1st August · Synapses
Synapses
Presented by Gúna Nua Theatre
Written by Liam Wilson Smyth
Directed by Paul Meade
Performed by Liam Wilson Smyth, Molly Downey
Age Suitability: 14+ | Running Time: 60 mins | No Interval
Gúna Nua Theatre returns with SYNAPSES: a play about Love, Memory, and the Romance of Parenting.
In this fast-paced comedy drama, two young parents mine the past
for the key to their future. Mike and Emily separated a year ago and
constantly row about money, access, and parenting styles.
One fateful afternoon, for the sake of their young son, they must find a better way. It all goes wrong, it all goes right, and an electrical fault spins them through time in search of the truth.
“Open, honest… leaving you feeling you’ve stepped inside their lives.” – Irish Independent
Dates & Venues
Tuesday 28th July · 8pm · Bank House, Whiddy Island
Wednesday 29th July · 8pm · Kilcrohane Community Hall
Thursday 30th July · 8pm · Timoleague Community Hall
Friday 31st July · 8pm · Drimoleague Community Hall
Saturday 1st August · 8pm · Lecture Theatre, Bere Island
Sunday 2nd August · 12pm · Outside Ballydehob Hall
(weather permitting) The Wobbly Circus (free entry)
The Wobbly Circus show includes juggling, clowning and plenty of audience participation. Age Suitability: All Ages | Running Time: 30min
Tickets
€17.50 Single Ticket
€60 Family Ticket (2 adults 2 teens)
Note – Family Ticket does not include pre-booked plays
All tickets on the door (unless stated otherwise)
Island Performances
Ferry not included in the ticket price.
Ferries leave at 7PM and return that evening at 10PM.
Welcome to the Fit-Up Theatre Festival 2026. We’re currently updating our website. While we put the finishing touches in place, you can download the full festival programme below.
