Do you like puppets?

What about plays?

We love puppets.

And plays, too, I guess.

That’s why we’re making a puppet play.

Pobal na bPuipéad is a multi-disciplinary art-theatre group. We’re a Dublin-based gaggle of googly-eyed young artists making a play about, starring, and for puppets. Not a puppet? Not a problem! Show your support by tossing us a few spare bob.

While this is our debut, our members have produced prior independent work in theatre and fine art. Our experience allows us to approach this ambitious project with professionalism and a critical lens, developing a theatre piece which is new and exciting.

The play is a surreal dark comedy called Ocras an Domhain. Set during the Celtic Tiger, it’s about a young woman, Orla, who’s desperate for a career in business. She interns with her uncle, Declan, the slimy local councilor in a dead-end town in Westmeath, where major motorway works are underway, uprooting vast swathes of land and angering its fairy denizens. She quickly learns that a life in business isn’t as glamorous as she thought, and one night, she is spirited away.

The choice of puppetry is informed by the themes of fantasy and folklore, as we aim for a stylised approach to theatre which emphasises the expressive, the strange, and the colourful. The production features a mixed cast of puppet and non-puppet characters, who play out a story taking place between This World and the Other World.

There is a disconnect between contemporary Irish culture and the landscape of Ireland. Recontextualised old folk tales provide an access point to the bizarre, intuitive knowledge of Irish stories, providing a clear lens into the modern day. Picture the intersection between the Big Short and Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mad Men. The piece highlights economic and social exploitation, accelerating growth and its associated destruction of ecology, and the Irish political narratives which justify social policies of austerity and harm.

We will be staging it in the Teacher’s Club on Parnell Square. Founded in the 1920s, this space is housed in two restored Georgian buildings, and the organisation’s focus on community and cultural engagement makes it the perfect space for our production.

Our production team, cast, and crew have been working tirelessly since May 2025 to prepare, and we come to you now asking for your help.

With your support we will:

Put on a great show. As young artists in Dublin, dosh is in short supply. Costumes, venue booking, lighting, sound, props, set, and most importantly puppets all cost.

Your support would aid in funding all of the above, ensuring cast and crew have the resources they need to execute this passion project to the highest standard.

While much of pre-production has already been completed on close to a budget of 0, we find ourselves at the final, expensive hurdles of covering stage materials and paying the venue hire. With your help, we can get over that last hill and perform this piece. If you’d like to take a look at the work we’ve done so far, please visit our Instagram page @pobalpuppets.

If you're unable to donate, then please consider sharing this GoFundMe and our Instagram; any help is a big help!

Box office info

Show dates.*

August 7th 2026 (evening show)

August 8th 2026 (evening show)

August 9th 2026 (evening and matinée)

Price. €16; €12 concession ticket**

Running time. 60 minutes

Language. English

Style of work. Absurdist dark comedy, combining puppetry and

satire

Content Warning. Substance abuse, foul language, sexist remarks, sexual references.

Age suitability. 18+ (parental guidance advised for younger ages)

* More potential shows pending ticket sales

** Students, unemployed, seniors

From Pobal na bPuipéad,

Thank you!