2026 Finalist
Dublin Gothic
Synopsis: Dublin Gothic is a myth-busting tragicomedy set in one Dublin house over a century of social upheaval. Generations of losers tumble through time, struggling against the villain of circumstance to create a shadow history of a city both strange and familiar.
Workshopped at Abbey Theatre May 2022. World Premiere November 27th , 2025- January 31st , 2026, Abbey Theatre. Ticket link
Cast Breakdown: A large ensemble play multiple characters, some of whom age over time. Minimum cast of 8 M, 9 W. Some gender switching as necessary.
Set/Costume Requirements: The set is a multi-level structure that serves as a house and flexible playing area that can transform into all other locations. Costumes need to be inventive and multifunctional for rapid character changes as actors never leave the stage.
Bio: Barbara Bergin is a writer and actor from Dublin, Ireland. She trained as an actor at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Dublin. Along with her acting career Barbara has written for Screen, Audio and Theatre. Writing credits include Love is the Drug and The Clinic (RTÉ Television), and she created On the Couch (TV3) a 6 part tragi-comedy, co-written with Gary Cooke, which she also directed. Plays include The Bulletin for The National Archives UK, 14 Voices from the Bloodied Field and Dublin Gothic for The Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre. Barbara has also worked as an artist in the community over many years creating and facilitating work from cross-border peace initiatives to creative writing in prisons. She is the recipient of an Irish Times Irish Theatre award, an Irish Film and Television award, a Markievicz award from The Arts Council of Ireland and a Commemoration Bursary from the Abbey Theatre.
Dublin Gothic at the Abbey Theatre in Ireland, 2025. Photos by Ros Kavanagh.