Study Abroad for the Summer at the National Theatre School of Ireland
Intensive Irish Theatre Programme
Next Programme Dates: Monday 16th June – Friday 11 July 2025
Application Deadline: Friday April 25th 2025
The Irish Theatre Summer Program at the Gaiety School of Acting is designed for acting students from outside Ireland. In this course you will take part in a number of practical acting workshops and seminars carefully designed to place the writers in both a theatrical, literary and cultural context. In the four weeks you will develop an understanding of the historical and literary background of selected texts from each writer, in addition to studying the staging and dramaturgical aspects. Students will be cast in scenes that feature on the curriculum and on the final day the participants will perform a showcase of selected scenes from the various plays studied.
Exploring Dublin and beyond..
Cultural visits include trips to places like Dublin Castle, EPIC (The Emigration Museum), the Irish Writers Museum, Hugh Lane Gallery, the National Gallery, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, James Joyce Tower in Sandycove, The Guinness Storehouse and evening theatre performances. Many of our students also take advantage of the weekends to travel to some of the many scenic and historical sites around Ireland.
Course Structure: 5 days a week over 4 weeks. Weekends are free for travel
Location: Temple Bar, Dublin
Price: €3100 (€2500 without accommodation)
Accommodation is based in UCD, a University complex in a nearby suburb. It is a vibrant and safe campus. It is a short bus journey from the school. The accommodation is shared with your fellow programme recipients.
Week 1:
Seminars on the Irish literary tradition and on contemporary Irish theatre. Acting classes this week will explore of acting techniques and include short scene studies. The playwright focused on this week is Samuel Beckett.
Week 2:
This week all seminars and acting classes will focus on the plays of John Millington Synge and William Butler Yeats. Participants will explore the unique composition of classic Irish character archetypes and motifs.
Week 3:
Acting classes examining the works of 1920’s Irish playwright Sean O’Casey. The students will explore techniques for tapping into the emotional authenticity of O’Casey’s characters and begin preparing short scenes for showcase in the final week.
Week 4:
Classes and seminars focused on the work of contemporary Irish playwrights: Brian Friel, Marina Carr, Conor McPherson, and Martin McDonagh. This week will also focus on rehearsals and preparation for the final showcase performed on the last night.