Whirligig Theatre Company was founded by Ann Russell. Our first production was Tara Maria Lovett’s The Cut, a fascinating study of grief and loss which was performed at T@36 in Parnell Square.

A Titter of Wit was staged at the Irish Writers’ Centre throughout the summer of 2011 and attracted audiences from Ireland and abroad. The Metro called Titter “a perfect afternoon jaunt”!

The Bother with The Brother, playing in Bewleys Café Theatre, brings the work of Flann O’Brien/Myles Na gCopaleen to the stage. This adaptation by Val O’Donnell was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Flann/Myles and was hailed as a “brilliant production” by The Sunday Times.

We are inspired by theatre which deals with the human condition rather than with abstract concepts, classic plays that explore the conflicts and challenges of life; the work of European dramatists such as Ibsen, Chekhov and O’Casey and the giants of the American theatre Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. It would be our longer term objective to stage some of these great classics in the future.

However, Whirligig is also interested in investigating the work of Irish dramatists who are outside the Irish Literary tradition such as that of Kerry dramatist and short story writer, George Fitzmaurice. Fitzmaurice’s dramatic fantasy The Magic Glasses was presented by Whirligig (together with other Fitzmaurice works) as part of Listowel Writer’s week in 2010. Whirligig is hoping to re-stage this work in Dublin in 2012.

Whirligig is also delighted to be working with actor and dramatist Shadaan Felfeli, whose play The Virgin and The Vulture was recently performed in The Pearse Centre. The Virgin and the Vulture tells the tale of a Zoroastrian Parsi storyteller who finds it difficult to get out of bed one sunny, Indian afternoon!

Shadaan, who recently completed an MA in UCD, is now working on his new play which we plan to present in 2012.