Play written by Kildare native Cian Ó Náraigh to be staged at Riverbank
Kildare town native Cian Ó Náraigh, explores ideas of belief and grief in one-man play
Following their highly successful Dublin Fringe Festival debut, Scaoilte Theatre’s one man show makes its way to the Riverbank Arts Centre for their tour opening performance on the 23rd of September. Anonn is a bilingual, gothic one-man show, following a fake spirit medium who actually makes contact with the other side. It is the professional debut of Scaoilte Theatre, following earlier development of Seift, an Irish language play about political grifting and identity that was shown in the Riverbank.
The play, written by Kildare Town native Cian Ó Náraigh, explores ideas of belief and grief, using the Irish language to expose the past and the realities of who we are. The work is vulnerable, funny, and horrifying all at once and explores themes of grief, loss, and the macabre, all from the safety of a salt circle. Seoirse, played by Newbridge’s Elliot Nolan, has been pretending to be a spirit medium. But when he actually makes contact with the spirit world, he’s forced to confront what he has done.
“Having grown up performing youth theatre shows in the Riverbank, it’s incredible and a bit surreal to be bringing a show I wrote there on a national tour,” said Ó Náraigh. “It’s an important venue to us, and the only venue that felt right starting the tour with.”
Anonn first began as a project on Irish language folklore, before evolving into a work-in-progress at Scene & Heard in February 2025. It then had a hit run at Smock Alley Boys’ School in Dublin Fringe Festival, where it was nominated for the Bewley’s Café Theatre’s Little Gem Award. It then had a performance as part of the Lasta Festival at the Town Hall Studio, Galway.
Anonn / The Other Side is supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Kildare County Council Arts Service. Developed at Dublin Fringe Festival Studios & Scene+Heard. This play premiered at Dublin Fringe Festival.
Cian first joined youth theatre as a member of Kildare Youth Theatre in 2015, before becoming a facilitator there in 2019. Since then, he has facilitated with groups local and abroad. Following completion of Youth Theatre Ireland's Drama Facilitation Training Course, Cian has been an Assistant Facilitator at the National Festival of Youth Theatre since 2022. He is also a member of their Welfare Panel, having been a welfare officer for projects such as National Youth Theatre and Young Critics.
Tickets are priced from €16–€18 and can be booked through the Box Office, either in person or by telephone on 045 448327 Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm (closed for lunch 2-2.30) and Saturday 10am-1pm. Tickets can also be booked 24/7 on www.riverbank.ie – Online tickets subject to €1 booking fee per ticket.