Who They Are: Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, founded in Sligo 27 years ago, are Ireland’s longest running Theatre Company. Alongside the upkeep of their performance space The Factory, the team produces several shows each year, interweaving new writing with adaptations of modern European greats, such as Alice in Wonderland and Beckett’s Endgame. They consistently remain a national artistic icon, touring in repertory style across country and continent, representing us across the world from Madrid to Sofia.

 

Why We <3 Them: Blue Raincoat Theatre Company are all about providing “arts related support” to other artists, the public, and including their neighbourhood in the process. Their home theatre in Sligo brought a derelict docklands warehouse into a thriving community hub, whilst recent renovations means a Theatre Library and several studio spaces are also available for the artists. The company hosts its Annual Theatre Academy in this space, passing on their wealth of knowledge and experience to upcoming performers in mediums such as movement and voice. They also run lecture-based workshops for both performers and the public, baking a little slice of the arts for anyone who desires a taste.

 

What’s Up Next: Straight off the back of their 7th Annual Theatre Academy, Blue Raincoat Theatre Company are returning to the Big Smoke next month with Shackleton (2018). Running at Project Arts Centre, the production will combine visceral visuals such as puppetry and original footage, alongside an ensemble cast, to tell the timely story of Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton’s escape from the Antarctic during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 100 years ago.

 

Shackleton (2018) runs in Project Arts Centre from 26 Feb – 10 March.