Prepare to suspend your disbelief. Then let it dissolve completely.

Unstable realities resemble our wildest imagination in this absurdist spectacle – writ large and set loose on the national stage.

ANIMALS is a riotous and kaleidoscopic world premiere commissioned by the Abbey Theatre and based on the critically acclaimed short fiction of award-winning contemporary Irish writer Blindboyboatclub (The Gospel According to Blindboy, Boulevard Wren, Topographia Hibernica), adapted by Dan Colley (Lost Lear, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings).

Hidden mythologies emerge as we follow: Erskine Fogarty and his fridge-freezer on the long road to Limerick; the vengeful Pamela Furlong becoming a dogman; a poitín maker haunted by a cormorant; and a dangerous liaison between two titans of Irish history.

The bizarreness of life is unmasked in this roaring and roaming new work that wonders aloud if the rowdy kids down the back of class might have been onto something all along.

The ANIMALS in rehearsal 

Images: Ste Murray

Deep dive with Director Dan Colley 

“These are stories from an incredibly imaginative mind, but also a unique perspective on the world that resonates with a lot of people. The things that happen in these stories, they may be strange, but not one of them doesn’t have some grounding in reality.”

Read the full article with Dan Colley here or watch the interview below.

The World of ANIMALS 

Interview with Blindboy 

Blindboy at the Abbey Theatre, 2026. Image: Rich Davenport

“Me and Dan, we’re on the same wavelength. I’m handing my album over to a brilliant DJ to remix.”

Read the full interview with Blindboy and Patrick Freyne in The Irish Times here.

Meet the ANIMALS Cast and Creative team 

Back row: Dee Roycroft, Saileóg O’Halloran, Pat Shortt, Liz FitzGibbon, John Doran, Andrea Ainsworth
Middle row: LaurA Fajardo Castro, Owen Boss, Ashleigh Dorrell, Emer Dineen, Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle, Dan Colley, Aidan Crowe, Jessie Thompson
Front row: Cally Shine, Ursula McGinn, José Miguel Jimenez, Karl Quinn, Manus Halligan, Suzie Cummins, Alma Kelliher
Image: Rich Davenport

Pat Shortt on RTÉ Radio 1 

Listen to Pat Shortt on the Brendan O’Connor show here.

Is this show for me?  

The following information can help you decide if this show is for you 

• You are welcome to take a breather and leave the auditorium during the show if you need to. When you are ready to return, there are certain moments in the show when you can re-enter the auditorium, and our staff will help you find your seat during one of these moments. 
• There is a 20-minute interval during the show. 
• Please read our Content Advice for information on the themes in the show (please know that the content advice contains a few spoilers!). 
• There is a quiet space available on-site before and during the show – if you would like to use this, please tell a member of our Front of House team. 
• If you need any support at all, our Front of House team is available to help you – just ask them.