A murder, an interrogation and a world shrouded in fantasy and fear, Scorched Earth is part crime-drama, part psychological thriller that pierces into a dark but fundamental element of the Irish psyche. What right do we have to the land beneath our feet? What are we willing to do to keep it? Or to take it?

Inspired by John B Keane’s The Field, Scorched Earth transports the audience into a stark interrogation room as a detective and suspect unearth the ghosts of a long-unsolved murder.

Blurring the lines of dance and theatre, Murphy weaves a tapestry of compelling storytelling, striking visuals and visceral movement. The cast of five international performers plunge us into a world of memory, ambition and resentment, culminating in a final chapter that leaves no doubt as to the cost of success.

From DDF Artist in Residence and the creators of the multi-award-winning Volcano, Scorched Earth is a bold reckoning with the haunting forces that shape our past and define our future.

Co-produced by Dublin Dance Festival and Galway International Arts Festival. Supported by a 2025 Arts Council of Ireland Arts Grant Award.