JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW is the worst audition you've ever had.

A Black actor, a woman actor, and a straight white male actor walk into a Shakespeare audition in a condemned theatre space. Amidst a riot outside the theatre, three auditionees attempt to impress an intensely respected director set on reinventing the play in "unorthodox" styles. As the audition unfolds, the actors' identities are called into the audition room and exploited for better performances.

Check out our info pack: https://canva.link/k7faezlm6likgc7

Nominated for 4 Dublin Fringe Awards:

Best Ensemble

Fishamble New Writing Award

Radical Spirit Award

Solas Nua New Writing Award

Named in “The Best Theatre of 2024”

—the IRISH TIMES

Back by popular demand, JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW is heading to Summerhall Arts at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026!!

We’ve got the venue. We’ve got the show. Now we need to pay the humans who make the magic happen.

We are officially headed to Summerhall for a full month at the Edinburgh Fringe! It is a huge milestone, and we are already looking toward a post-Fringe life for the show. We’ve secured partial funding, but we have a €7,000 gap to support our team.

Why We Are Committed to Fair Pay

The Edinburgh Fringe is the greatest arts festival on earth, but it’s also one of the most expensive. For too long, the magic of the Fringe has been subsidized by the artists themselves, performing for free while juggling the skyrocketing costs of Edinburgh housing and transport.

We don't believe exposure pays the rent.

Our team is the soul of this show. They have been on this journey of developing JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW for the last 3 years to bring audiences something unforgettable. By contributing to our work, you aren't just helping us rent a venue; you are ensuring that our actors receive a professional fee for their labor. We believe that fair pay isn't just a nice to have, it’s the only way to keep the arts accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford to work for free.

Please donate! Help us hit our goal to ensure our team is paid fairly.

REVIEWS FOR JCVS

“Nesbitt's driven satire drew on a very clear strain of historical abuse in Irish theatre..”

— Chris McCormack

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"When we watch a black actor (a nicely wary Loré Adewusi) being perceived by a white director only through demands of representativeness, as able only to play roles warped by violence, it opens up questions about an industry that produces only plays with majority white casts. Can we say this is fiction?"

— The Irish Times

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“At this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival plenty of ire was aimed at the performing arts’ current discourse on inclusion. Most driven was Joy Nesbitt’s dark comedy Julius Caesar Variety Show, about a nightmarish actors’ audition. Nesbitt’s points felt new and insightful”

— The Irish Times, “The best theatre of 2024: Blessed are the risk-takers”

“Nesbitt's driven satire drew on a very clear strain of historical abuse in Irish theatre..”

— Chris McCormack, “Industry anger becomes art at Dublin Fringe”

​

"When we watch a black actor (a nicely wary Loré Adewusi) being perceived by a white director only through demands of representativeness, as able only to play roles warped by violence, it opens up questions about an industry that produces only plays with majority white casts. Can we say this is fiction?"

— The Irish Times, “Julius Caesar Variety Show: An anxious comedy about a theatre industry refusing to evolve”

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