New Season... New Look... New Brochure

We are so excited to announce a bumper new season coinciding with a fresh new look for our website. Our revamped Hawkswell.com launched on Thursday 11th August 2022, bringing with it improved functionality and navigation, so that you can easily find what you're looking for!

All this comes as our latest brochure for Sept – Dec 2022 arrives. Featuring all the shows and workshops taking place during the coming months, the booklet is available to pick up at our theatre, at locations all over Sligo, and to view or download on our new website.

Among the many highlights this season, the Hawk’s Well is delighted to be co-producing two brand new shows; Eva, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Constance; and GomBean, a comedy by Niamh McGrath.

Receiving its world premiere from 8 - 11 Sept, Eva commemorates the life and work of one of Sligo’s radical revolutionaries, Eva Gore-Booth. The younger sister of Constance de Markievicz - who was herself the subject of the sell-out Constance in 2019 - Eva was a fierce social revolutionary, pacifist, and feminist, who rejected her privileged heritage, and fought passionately for gender and class equality throughout her life.

Creator Kellie Hughes charts Eva’s inner life, adapting her poetry and combining original compositions by Stephen Doherty, to create a rich sonic experience celebrating of her life, legacy and redoubtable spirit.

Written by Niamh McGrath and directed by Seamus O'Rourke, GomBean meanwhile is a comedy set in a sleepy town in Sligo. Delivering a lockdown dose of caffeine-fueled fun the play opens a lid on Grace O’ Malley’s new coffee van venture. When a blast from her past - wrestling rival Ruby Stephens - arrives in town decades after making it big, it literally turns Grace’s world upside down, as she contends to win back her title which she lost at the U18’s Community Games in ’94.

As well as these fresh productions, the Hawk’s Well is delighted to debut Locals@Lunch; a weekly series of female-led lunchtime performances. Kicking off on 7th September with musician Anna Houston, other artists to appear during the run include Maggie Kilcoyne, Sandy Kelly, Sinead Conway, Miriam Needham, Michele Feeney, Isabel Claffey and Tara Baoth Mooney. Taking place each Wednesday during September and October, this free event requires no booking. Just come along and enjoy forty minutes of creative escapism as a wealth of local arts talent is celebrated in this special lunchtime event series.

Shows...

In theatre, Anne Gildea's hilarious How to Get The Menopause and Enjoy It arrives in September, as does The Border Game from award-winning writers Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney, with Sligo Drama Circle presenting Larry Shue’s The Foreigner as the month ends. October sees Fishamble’s Heaven and Seamus Moran’s Dolly and Mick come to the stage, while writer, actor and Joycean enthusiast Robert Gogan goes Strolling Through Ulysses.

One of the world’s most respected natural history cameramen, Doug Allan brings his It’s a Wrap talk in November, while Sligo Fun Company take on Sister Act, hilarious comedy Dirty Dusting airs, and the Mad Ravens present The House On Cedarwood Drive. Closing out the year meanwhile, Crokey Hill Players are back with It’s The Real McCoy, in late December.

There’s an abundance of gigs and more for music fans of all genres this season. Luke Thomas and the Swing Cats perform The Story Of Swing
in September, with a return for Grammy-nominated Americana supergroup Cherish the Ladies in the same month. Kieran Quinn’s ever-popular Theme Nights tackle the Musicals in October, with a double bill of Damien O’Kane & Ron Block / Aoife Scott & Andy Meaney celebrating The Nashville Connection, also in the same month.

November sees renowned folk artists Flook visit the Hawk’s Well, while ABBA Forever is sure to get attendees dancing in the aisles. The Music of Joe O’Dowd looks back at Sligo’s fiddle-playing legend, ahead of The Drew House Band who remember late Dubliner Ronnie Drew. Rough Trade signee Lisa O’Neill and the hugely respected Phil Coulter round out the month before the festive season kicks in.

Sticking with music, and Sligo Live takes place in October, with thirteen-piece Springsteen celebration The Seeger Sessions Revival; Ye Vagabonds plus very special guest Niamh Regan; and Susan O’Neill all happening during the festival run. Acclaimed singer songwriter Paul Brady rounds out the line-up, with a brace of shows towards the end of the month.

For comedy lovers, Rory O'Connor returns with Rory’s Stories
in September, while Channel 4 regular David O’Doherty will be proclaiming Woah is Me… in October. The irreverent Conal Gallen
stars in Knot Again in November, and Gearoid Farrelly takes to the stage with his latest show Glamour Hammer, in the same month.

For children, there’s music, magic, and more this season. Joe the Magician will be casting his spell in late September, while a bold reimagining of Herman Hesse’s classic fairy tale, I Wish I was a Mountain comes to life in October. For the smallest theatre goers, the much loved ‘Babies’ series of shows returns, with Banjo Babies, Baroque Babies, Trad Babies and Santa Babies happening during various Sundays throughout the season.

Take Part...

Workshops for adults returns for those wishing to learn a new skill or brush up on some lapsed ones. Back to raise a smile, John Colleary’s Comedy Writing course runs from 19 Sept – 24 Oct, while taking place online during the same period, Stephen Doherty teaches Traditional Flute. Also in music, Sing with Sandy & Seamie is a free course running in September and October, while Oisín MacDiarmada is back with his Sligo Fiddle Workshops also in the Autumn. For scribes, Brian Leyden’s On Memoir runs from 20 Sept - 25 Oct.

There’s also the return of Sing For The Hell Of It!, as well as courses in Theatre Production, Acting for Adults with Miriam Needham, Anne Russell on Public Speaking, and more during the latter part of the year.

There are also Workshops for Children, with the always popular Toddler Drama and Drama At The Well returning, along with a number of new workshops for children that include New Voices; a playwriting programme for 15-17 year olds.

Full details of all workshops can be found under the Take Part section of the new website.

With all this to look forward to, plus Culture Night, Ladies Night, Change Your Mind festival, and the welcome return of the Coolera Christmas pantomime – this year it’s Cinderella - there’s something for everyone at Hawk’s Well theatre this season!

Thanks to Sligo Leader Partnership Company Ltd for funding the development of our new website and Path who designed it.