“Our ambition for the Gate is that it becomes a beacon which exists in the hearts and minds of both artists and audiences.” says Selina Cartmell. “It was Hilton Edwards who said the Gate exists to ‘put at the disposal of our audiences all the riches of the theatre, past, present and future, culled from the theatre of all the world and irrespective of their nationality. A theatre limited only by the limits of our imagination.”
The theme of the first season is 'The Outsider', which is being hyped as a "bold and eclectic range of stories" told through through productions to be staged in 2017/2018.
Selina aims for her first season to "celebrate the epic and the intimate, embraces artistic diversity and gender equality, while empowering new and established voices on the Gate stage.
The Outsider season will kick-off on 6 July with an Irish premiere of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which is being adapted and directed by Alexander Wright.
In this bold experimental dance version, the seats will be removed from the auditorium, and the chandeliers lowered to help transform the beautiful theatre space into the Gatsby Mansion with all its decadent opulence and atmosphere. The theatre will be opened up, with backstage areas and spaces made accessible to the public for the first time.
While the cast will be attired in exquisite 1920’s costumes designed by Peter O’Brien, audiences are also encouraged to dress in 1920’s style - and dancing shoes are mandatory.
On 28 September, The Gate will stage 'Tribes' by Nina Raine which will be directed by Oonagh Murphy The cast will include Clare Dunne and Gavin Drea.
A new version of Hans Christian Andersen’s 'The Red Shoes' by Nancy Harris, which will be directed by Selina Cartmell, will have its world premiere at The Gate in November.
The classic kitchen sink drama 'Look Back in Anger' by John Osborne will be directed by Annabelle Comyn, commencing from 1 February. While after this 'The Rape of Lucrece' by William Shakespeare will be presented with music and performances by Camille O’Sullivan and Feargal Murray, from 27 Match.
In April, 'Assassins' by Stephen Sondheim will be staged. The multiple Tony Award-winning Assassins lays bare the lives of nine people who assassinated (or tried to assassinate) the President of the United States. These notorious assassins gather on stage to violently pursue a twisted American Dream. Sondheim’s signature blend of intelligently stunning lyrics and beautiful music combine in this bold, original, disturbing and alarmingly funny musical.
Finally, Roddy Doyle's 'The Snapper' will have its world stage premiere in June.
Roddy Doyle’s second installment of the celebrated Barrytown Trilogy is a story that"remains fresh, vivid, astute and relevant for today", says The Gate's new director.
Salty and sweet, 'The Snapper' offers a wickedly funny account of the ups and downs of family life and pregnancy in Northside Dublin in the late 1980s. The Gate sits right next door to The Rotunda Hospital where Sharon’s baby 'The Snapper' is born.