IRISH WAKE AMUSEMENTS

A love letter to a nearly forgotten tradition, and to the ridiculous joy of being alive (or dead), together, in public.
Drawn from the vanished rituals of the Irish Funeral Wake, this outdoor solo strips away solemnity and replaces it with music, dance, song and trickery. Poles become caskets, then jousting lances; chairs become stepping stones around a grave that keeps moving.

Equal parts wake, parlour game, and jig, it asks its audience not to watch a death, but to help build one.

​Come prepared to hold a pole, duck a spinning body, and discover that grief, staged right, is one of the funniest things we do together.

CREATIVE TEAM

Concept & Performance
Rob Heaslip

Creative Producer
Helen McIntosh

Dramaturgy & Movement Direction
​Kristyn Fontanella

Rehearsal Direction
​Joanne Barry

Mentor to Rob Heaslip
Joan Català

Sound Design
Eilon Morris

Production Manager
Fi Fraser

PERFORMANCES

Preview
Edinburgh International Children's Festival, May 2026

Premieres
World Premiere - Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, July 2026
Scottish Premiere - ​Merchant City Festival Glasgow, Scotland, July 2026

Subsequent performances
Earagail Arts Festival, Donegal, Ireland, July 2026​