The Dolldrums

Smock Alley Theatre, 1662

Smock Alley Theatre, 1662, Ireland

Lily Burke will do anything to be a real girl. Even if it kills her. After a decade living stealth, Lily is murdered by her long-suppressed subconscious, Lilith. Trapped in the purgatorial Dolldrums, she reflects on a life shaped by sex, lies, and self-sacrifice. The Dolldrums is a modern parable about the truths we deny and the perceptions we embrace. No matter how far we run from ourselves, we can never escape who we truly are. A new play by Liath Hannon, star of hit Irish film Girls and Boys. ★★★★ “Profoundly moving” // “de Stáinleigh’s superb sound design an unsung hero of mood and atmosphere. Along with Doyle’s throbbing red set” // “O'Donoghue cementing her reputation as one of the most intriguing young directors around” - The Arts Review ★★★★ “Another success for Jaxbanded” // “Cassidy’s lighting is haunting and evocative” // “Jaxbanded.. continue to push boundaries and expand the horizon of Dublin theatre” - The Reviews Hub ★★★★ “Impressively Slick” // “Liath Hannon is remarkable” // “the stylish cynicism of film noir” - The Irish Times Age Suitability: 18+ Warnings: Nudity / Reference to sexual violence and assault / Loud music / Strobe lighting / Homophobia / Transphobia WRITTEN BY Liath Hannon DIRECTED BY Ois O’Donoghue LIGHTING DESIGN BY Sophie Cassidy SET DESIGN BY Jodie Doyle COSTUME DESIGN BY Jodie Doyle SOUND DESIGN BY Ultan de Stáinleigh CAST Liath Hannon, Ruairi Nicholl TICKETS €21 | €19 (concession) RUNNING TIME 65 mins no interval ABOUT THE COMPANY JAXBANDED THEATRE is an Irish theatre collective collective that focuses on the urban, the undefined and the underrepresented. We endeavour to create new work that captures the simple beauty of live storytelling and its ability to bring people together by combatting a contemporary world that is increasingly divided. JAXBANDED has now produced a number of stage and online productions, including but not limited to Sentimental: A New Gig Musical (2023), HYPER in S&H (2023), DFF (2023) and EFF (2024), Hate F#%K (2024) in the New Theatre, Stone Cold Sober Remastered (2024), The Dolldrums (2025) in Smock Alley: DMT, and of course our newest work in progress show UNDERCOVERS (2026), which will next be performed at Beyond the Pale 2026. We are very excited to be developing bold new work for the Irish and world stage.