The cast includes Romel Belcher, Leo Bill, Caoimhe Coburn Gray, Derbhle Crotty, Kate Finegan, Eoin Gleeson and Lisa Kelly…
Royal Court Theatre and Dead Centre in association with Dublin Theatre Festival and Complicité have recently confirmed the casting for Deaf Republic. Adapted from the book by Ukrainian-American author Ilya Kaminsky, the production is co-written and directed by Dead Centre’s Artistic Directors Bush Moukarzel and Ben Kidd it is co-written with Zoë McWhinney.
The cast includes Romel Belcher, Leo Bill, Caoimhe Coburn Gray, Derbhle Crotty, Kate Finegan, Eoin Gleeson and Lisa Kelly. A gunshot in occupied territory. A deaf boy is killed for disobeying orders he couldn’t hear. The next day, the whole town wakes up deaf.
Theatre company Dead Centre make their Royal Court debut, collaborating with Sign Language Poet Zoë McWhinney. Told through a mix of spoken English, sign language, creative captioning and silence, the show brings together an ensemble of deaf and hearing actors, aerial performers, puppetry, live cinema and poetry to create an epic modern fable of war, humanity and collective resistance.
Deaf Republic runs in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from Friday 29 August 2025 – Saturday 13 September 2025, with press night on Thursday 4 September 2025. Deaf Republic then runs at Samuel Beckett Theatre as part of Dublin Theatre Festival from Wednesday 1 October 2025 – Sunday 5 October 2025.
Royal Court Theatre and Dead Centre co-production, in association with Dublin Theatre Festival and Complicité. Funded by The Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon with creative production support from field:arts and ZooCo. London performances supported by Culture Ireland. Supported by the T.S. Eliot Foundation.
