REVIEW: The Last Pint, featuring three Ukrainian veterans, makes its Dublin bow

For one night only, The Last Pint made its Dublin debut on a dark but unusually dry February evening in Swords, North County Dublin. The cast and crew delivered a powerful hour of theatre. Developed through an Irish-Ukrainian collaboration and performed by Ukrainian veterans alongside local contributors, the production carried a depth and sincerity that could only come from people telling stories shaped by real experience.

Set in the easy familiarity of an Irish pub, the often-upbeat performance blended Irish and Ukrainian humour, music, singing, and dancing. Audio‑visual touches and bilingual cast members helped with translation and cultural context, allowing both communities to share the same space comfortably.

At its core, the story unfolds over an evening in a pub where Irish locals and displaced Ukrainians cross paths, trade songs, swap memories, and slowly let slip the personal truths and losses they each bring into the room.

The play explored love, loss, and the more personal losses that sit quietly in the background of a life at war or in peaceful times. Throughout the story, it’s clear that Irish and Ukrainian people have far more in common than some people would have us believe.

The tragedy of the full‑scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the immense trauma it has caused, was woven throughout the performance. This was made real by the visible and invisible injuries carried by the three Ukrainian veterans involved. One has lost a leg; another an arm; and the psychological impact was portrayed delicately but unmistakably.

Just as evident was the warmth and friendship shared between Irish and Ukrainian performers, and the local volunteers who helped bring the play to life in Dublin. A reminder that even in the hardest times, solidarity can feel effortless.
For this one‑night‑only performance, The Last Pint managed to be heartfelt, human, and quietly resonant – exactly the sort of intimate theatre that stays with you.

TONY DUFFIN