Who They Are: The Corn Exchange, founded by celebrated actress and director Annie Ryan over twenty years ago, are a group which “combines strong physical theatre practice with dynamic text”. The loyal ensemble promotes ground-breaking pieces of theatre, most notably their adaptations and collaborations with writer Michael West (Dublin By Lamplight, Lolita), whilst paying homage to the history of their craft. A common feature of such plays is mime-like face paint, which they often utilised to emphasise emotion and perhaps disturb the audience. The company uses global content as inspiration but mixes it with specific national issues, rooting themselves absolute in the Dublin scene.

Why We <3 Them: The Corn Exchange are perhaps the best example of a company that masters the art of balancing wonderful original productions with exciting adaptations of canonical pieces and modern classics. For the last number of years, their Dublin Theatre Festival (DTF) production has been a consistent audience highlight, including James Joyce’s Dubliners and Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. They offer colourful performances where the skill of great acting is at the forefront, and the professionalism of the production stands testament to Annie Ryan’s repertoire.

What’s Up Next: The Corn Exchange’s DTF17 effort once again offers their interpretation of a classic playwright, this year taking inspiration from Henrik Ibsen’s Leaving Certificate favourite A Doll’s House. In an exciting collaboration with author Belinda McKeon, the world of perfect fronts and imperfect marriages comes to life in a near-dystopian ‘post-truth world’. Nora runs at Project Arts Centre this October, starring Annie Ryan herself.