Druid Theatre will continue its Seán O’Casey theme into 2025 as it embarks on an 11-venue Irish tour of Three Short Comedies next February and March, reviving the widely praised production that the company previously toured in 2021. The run will conclude in Galway, from March 25-29.

Three Short Comedies are hilarious one-act plays by O’Casey. Set in a post office, A Pound on Demand (1939) is the tale of Jerry and Sammy who badly need a quick injection of cash to continue their night on the town.

In Bedtime Story (1951), John Jo Mulligan learns the hard way that inviting members of the opposite sex to Miss Mossie’s lodging house comes with serious consequences.

All hell breaks loose in The End of the Beginning (1937) when Darry Berrill and his wife Lizzie agree to swap their household roles –  and that’s before Darry’s clumsy friend Barry arrives.

The production will be directed by Garry Hynes and the cast of six will include Druid ensemble members Marie Mullen, Rory Nolan and Marty Rea, alongside Venetia Bowe, Caitríona Ennis and Liam Heslin.

Druid’s other recent O’Casey productions include the lauded DruidO’Casey which toured Ireland and America in 2023; and a national tour of The Shadow of a Gunman in the spring of 2024.

Next Spring, Druid will tour Three Short Comedies to Roscommon, Ennis, Tralee, Limerick, Kilkenny, Wexford, Longford, Belfast, Dún Laoghaire and Cork before finishing with a run in Galway’s Town Hall Theatre.

This national tour marks the beginning of Druid’s 50th anniversary programme for 2025. The company will unveil further anniversary announcements in the new year.

Meanwhile, the company will be at the city’s Town Hall Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday, March 25-29 with Three Short Comedies by Seán O’Casey and tickets are on sale now from tht.ie or druid.ie.

Druid has also announced that applications are now open for three of its 2025 artist development programmes: the Marie Mullen Bursary (deadline next Monday, November 18), FUEL Artist Residency (deadline Monday week, November 25) and New Writing Script Submissions (deadline Friday, January 31). See www.druid.ie for more information.

Pictured: Marty Rea in the End of the Beginning by Seán O’Casey.