The Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland, and the National Theatre of Great Britain have today announced details of a future co-production of Tom Murphy’s A Whistle in the Dark, directed by Co-Director of the Abbey Theatre, Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin, and starring award-winning actor Paul Mescal, who will make his debut at the National Theatre in London. Following its premiere there, it will transfer to the Abbey Theatre in 2027. The news comes as part of a wider programme announcement at the National Theatre in London, the first under the artistic direction of Indhu Rubasingham, who was appointed in 2023.
As part of the same announcement, McLaughlin will also direct JM Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World for the National Theatre in London. Starring Declan Conlon, Nicola Coughlan, Lorcan Cranitch, Megan Cusack, Éanna Hardwicke, Siobhán McSweeney and Marty Rea, it will honour the rich heritage and influence of Irish drama on British theatre. Running from Thursday, 4th December 2025 – Saturday, 28th February 2026, it will see McLaughlin, Coughlan and Hardwicke all make their National Theatre debuts. Also debuting at the National Theatre are members of the creative team, Irish artists, set and costume designer Katie Davenport and composer Anna Mullarkey.
Commenting, Co-Director of the Abbey Theatre, Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin said: “It is very meaningful for us at the Abbey Theatre to have such fulsome engagement in this next chapter of the National Theatre of Great Britain. It will be an honour to bring The Playboy of the Western World and A Whistle in the Dark before audiences in London. Every generation deserves to see these two seminal works of the Irish canon.”
A Whistle in the Dark is a powerful portrayal of tribal violence and the devastation it brings in its wake. Michael Carney, settled in Coventry with his wife Betty, attempts to forge a new life for himself. However, leaving Ireland couldn’t set him free, and once the Carneys descend, there is no way out. In The Playboy of the Western World, Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub, claiming that he has killed his father. Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene…
Separated by five decades, these works of Murphy and Synge pushed the boundaries of Irish theatre, challenging audiences with disturbing images of Irish life, forcing them to reflect on emigrant and peasant lives respectively. Both playwrights are noted for their use of language, Murphy for the musical quality he brought to his work and Synge for his use of Hiberno-English. Their deft ability to convey emotions and human interactions on stage has captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. It is the first time that Murphy’s work will be staged by the National Theatre in London.
McLaughlin added: “I am thrilled to take on these two great Irish plays. The Playboy of the Western World (1907) holds a special place in my heart because it is synonymous with the origins of our theatre and has such significance to the history of our artform. A Whistle in the Dark (1961) is a taut, explosive, pressure cooker of a play and remains Murphy’s best-known and most performed play.
“Both plays hold in common the opportunity to reinvent yourself, the desire to realise one’s own potential, and what happens when that opportunity is squandered or lost.”
Co-Director of the Abbey Theatre, Executive Director Mark O’Brien added: “In a joint statement in March this year following the UK-Ireland Summit, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke about, “the unique ability of arts, culture and sport to forge and foster ties between people across these islands” and about the establishment of “a strategic partnership to deepen and amplify co-operation between our leading cultural institutions”. We are delighted that our co-production of A Whistle in the Dark and the collaboration between the two national theatre’s speaks so clearly to that aim.”
Today’s announcement follows the Abbey Theatre’s own announcement of its 2025 programme, which foregrounds the best of new Irish playwriting, with six world premieres from playwrights Kevin Barry, Barbara Bergin, Marina Carr, Carys D. Coburn, Caitríona Daly and Jimmy McAleavey, set for the Abbey and Peacock Stages.
