NEWS - SHEFFIELD THEATRES AND ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE ANNOUNCE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR DANCING AT LUGHNASA

A new co-production of Dancing at Lughnasa brings Brian Friel’s award-winning play to Sheffield and Manchester in autumn 2025.

Sheffield Theatres and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, have announced the full cast and creative team for their upcoming co-production of Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa. This new staging marks an exciting milestone as it will be the first production directed by Sheffield Theatres’ incoming Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman.

The production opens at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre from Saturday 13 September – Saturday 4 October 2025, before transferring to the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, from Friday 10 October – Saturday 8 November 2025.

Cast

Audiences can look forward to a talented ensemble bringing Friel’s award-winning play to life:

• Martha Dunlea (Making History) as Christina

• Kwaku Fortune (Hidden Assets) as Michael

• Frank Laverty (A Whistle in the Dark) as Jack

• Rachel O’Connell (Iphigenia In Splott) as Rose

• Siobhán O'Kelly (The Beauty Queen of Leenane) as Margaret

• Laura Pyper (A View from the Bridge) as Agnes

• Natalie Radmall-Quirke (Birdsong) as Kate

• Marcus Rutherford (Wheel of Time) as Gerry

  
  

Joining them are Rosemary Boyle (The James Plays) and Richard Galloway (Life and Soul) as swings.

Several cast members are making their Sheffield Theatres and Royal Exchange debuts, while others return to familiar stages. Laura Pyper previously appeared in Death and the King’s Horseman and The Crucible at Sheffield Theatres. Rosemary Boyle performed in The James Plays at the Lyceum Theatre, and Frank Laverty returns to Manchester following appearances in A Whistle in the Dark and The Colleen Bawn at the Royal Exchange.

Creative Team

The creative team for Dancing at Lughnasa includes:

• Director: Elizabeth Newman

• Designer: Francis O’Connor

• Movement Director: Sundeep Saini

• Lighting Designer: Chris Davey

• Composer & Sound Designer: Pippa Murphy

• Casting Director: Arthur Carrington

• Associate Director: Amanda Collins

• Birkbeck Assistant Director: Sadie Mears

• Fight Director: Kaitlin Howard

• Associate Lighting Designer: Mark Distin Webster

About the Play

Set on the outskirts of Ballybeg, County Donegal, Dancing at Lughnasa follows the five Mundy sisters as they navigate daily responsibilities and societal expectations in 1930s Ireland. As outside influences creep into their lives, the sisters are swept into a tide of change that alters their world forever.

First staged in 1990, Friel’s drama remains a moving exploration of memory, reflection, and the inevitability of change. With its powerful storytelling and richly drawn characters, the play continues to resonate with audiences around the world.

Booking Information

Tickets are now on sale.

🎟️ Sheffield Theatres:Box Office in person, by phone on 0114 249 6000, or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

🎟️ Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester:Box Office in person, by phone on 0161 833 9833, or online at royalexchange.co.uk.

✨ Dancing at Lughnasa is set to be a highlight of the autumn theatre season, bringing Brian Friel’s timeless play to audiences in Sheffield and Manchester with a stellar cast and creative team.