Ireland in Focus: Five Weeks at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris

From November 1 to December 5, 2026, Ireland Focus brings together theater, dance, music and photography at Théâtre de la Ville and Les Abbesses. Stephen Rea, Oona Doherty and Michael Keegan-Dolan are among the artists featured in the program.

Ireland Focus runs from November 1 to December 5, 2026 at the Théâtre de la Ville – Sarah Bernhardt in the 4th arrondissement and at Les Abbesses in the 18th. The program spans several disciplines: theater, dance, music, photography and events for young audiences, featuring Irish artists and projects that bring repertoire into dialogue with contemporary work.

The series opens on November 1 with Samhain, a free day devoted to the Celtic festival marking the transition to winter. Irish bagpipes, dance and poetry make up this first event. The free admission for this opening event does not extend to all the shows in the Focus, which have their own booking arrangements.

On stage, Stephen Rea performs Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape (La Dernière Bande), directed by Vicky Featherstone, from November 3 to 7 at Les Abbesses. A man listens again to recordings of his life: the play sets his present-day voice against that of his past, in a production centred on memory and listening.

Dance also has a prominent place in the program. Oona Doherty presents Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus, with Sati Veyrunes, from November 24 to 27 at Les Abbesses. Michael Keegan-Dolan then presents 1975 | Naoi Déag Seachtó Cúig, combining dance and theater, from December 2 to 5. These events offer two approaches to Irish choreography to discover during the festival.

The musical program includes Some Thinking & Feeling by Jennifer Walshe and Ensemble Contrechamps, on November 18 at 8 p.m. at Les Abbesses, at the intersection of experimental music and performance. Michael Gallen, meanwhile, presents the music theater work The Curing Line on November 27 and 28.

Families have two shows to choose from at the Coupole at Théâtre de la Ville: The Maker, by Dan Colley, Manus Halligan and Raymond Keane, November 5–8, and How to Catch a Star, by Branar, November 20–23. Show times vary by performance, and tickets must be booked separately for each show.

Photography accompanies these five weeks with All that Krapp by John Minihan, Stray Sod by Maria Lax and Rural Fluorescent by Jill Quigley, on show from 1 November to 5 December in the Théâtre de la Ville’s spaces. A closing ball is also scheduled for 5 December. The programme is organised with the Centre Culturel Irlandais and Culture Ireland.

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