Conor McPherson's 'The Brightening Air' Opens at Gate Theatre in First New Play in 12 Years
Conor McPherson's "The Brightening Air", his first new play in 12 years, has officially opened at the Gate Theatre in Dublin following its premiere at London's Old Vic, with the haunting rural drama — set in a 1980s Irish homestead and featuring a cast that includes Chris O'Dowd, Brian Gleeson, Derbhle Crotty, and Seán McGinley — running until August 30 in what critics have described as a long-awaited return to form for one of Ireland's most celebrated and internationally recognised playwrights.
Background
Conor McPherson is one of the most significant Irish playwrights of his generation, whose work — including "The Weir", "Shining City", and "The Seafarer" — has been performed in theatres across the world and has established him as a master of the supernatural and the uncanny in Irish dramatic writing. His plays are characterised by their exploration of loneliness, guilt, and the persistence of the past, and they draw on a deep engagement with Irish folklore and the oral tradition of storytelling.
The 12-year gap since his last new play has been a source of curiosity and anticipation in Irish theatre circles. McPherson has been active as a screenwriter and director during that period — most notably as the creator of the television series "Bloodlands" — but the absence of a new stage work from one of Ireland's most distinctive theatrical voices has been felt. "The Brightening Air" was therefore one of the most anticipated theatrical events of 2026, and its premiere at the Old Vic in London generated significant critical attention before the production transferred to Dublin.
The Gate Theatre, which has been McPherson's Dublin home for several productions, is the ideal venue for a play of this kind. The intimate Georgian theatre on Cavendish Row provides the atmosphere of enclosure and unease that McPherson's work requires, and the Gate's production values — under the leadership of its current artistic director — have been consistently high.
Key Developments
The play is set in a rural Irish homestead in the 1980s and centres on adult siblings Billie and Stephen, whose semi-functional life is disrupted by the arrival of their excommunicated uncle, Fr. Pierre, and their estranged brother, Dermot. McPherson has described the 1980s setting as reflecting an era when the oral tradition of folklore and magic still felt "first-hand" and alive — a period before the Celtic Tiger and the social transformations it brought had fully severed Ireland's connection to its pre-modern past.
The official opening night was July 22, following previews from July 17. The cast includes several returning members from the London run — Chris O'Dowd as Dermot, Derbhle Crotty, Brian Gleeson, Seán McGinley, and Aisling Kearns — joined by new cast members Peter Corboy, Kate Gilmore, and Judith Roddy for the Dublin production. The creative team includes Rae Smith as set and costume designer, Mark Henderson as lighting designer, and Gregory Clarke as sound designer.
The production runs until August 30, with evening performances at 7:30pm and matinees at 2:00pm. An Irish Sign Language interpreted performance is scheduled for August 22. Ticket prices start from approximately €18, with discounts available for groups and seniors on select days.
Why It Matters
McPherson's return to the stage with a new play is a significant event in Irish cultural life. His work occupies a unique position in the Irish theatrical canon — it is rooted in the Irish experience but speaks to universal themes of isolation, guilt, and the supernatural in ways that have resonated with audiences across the world. The 12-year gap has only heightened the anticipation, and the critical reception of the London premiere — which was broadly positive, with particular praise for the performances and the atmospheric staging — suggests that "The Brightening Air" is a worthy addition to his body of work.
The play's engagement with the 1980s is also culturally significant. That decade was a period of profound social and economic difficulty in Ireland — high unemployment, mass emigration, the AIDS crisis, and the bitter debates about abortion and divorce — and McPherson's decision to set his play in that era invites reflection on how far Ireland has come and what has been lost in the transformation. The supernatural elements of the play — the sense that the past is not fully past, that the dead are not fully gone — are a characteristic McPherson preoccupation that takes on particular resonance in the context of the 1980s setting.
Local Impact
The Gate Theatre's summer programme, anchored by "The Brightening Air", is one of the most significant in the theatre's recent history. The production has already generated significant interest from theatre-goers across Ireland and from visitors to Dublin, and the Gate's box office has reported strong advance bookings. The play's run until August 30 coincides with the peak of the Dublin summer tourism season, and the Gate's location in the city centre makes it easily accessible for visitors staying in the city. The production is also expected to attract theatre-goers from Northern Ireland, where McPherson's work has a strong following.
What's Next
"The Brightening Air" runs at the Gate Theatre until August 30. The Gate's autumn programme will be announced in the coming weeks, and the theatre is expected to build on the momentum generated by the McPherson production with a strong season of new and classic Irish work. McPherson has indicated that he is already working on his next project, though he has not provided details. The success of "The Brightening Air" in London and Dublin is likely to generate interest in further international productions of the play, and discussions about a Broadway transfer are understood to be at an early stage.
