At Home and Abroad

Bealtaine Theatre Festival - Will Peat The Canada Ireland Foundation (CIF) is presenting the second annual Bealtaine Theatre Festival, featuring Canadian premieres of some of Ireland’s most captivating contemporary theatre productions. The Festival runs from May 21 to June 7 at the Corleck — CIF’s brand new venue for arts, cultural and heritage programming on Toronto’s waterfront. Festival attendees will be among the first to experience this state-of-the-art performance space, officially opening in November 2026. Bealtaine kicks off with the one-of-a-kind, one-person show, CHICKEN. This award-winning production from Sunday’s Child Theatre had a sold-out run at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and exemplifies the originality of Ireland’s independent theatre scene. Next, from Dublin’s boundary-breaking Brokentalkers comes BELLOW, a new theatre performance exploring the beauty and weight of keeping traditional Irish music alive, featuring expert accordionist Danny O’Mahony. Then comes an extraordinary adaptation of the story of Ulysses for children and adults alike. In Branar’s YOU’LL SEE, James Joyce’s epic story is reinvented for ages 8 and up. Bealtaine (pronounced byal-tin-uh) takes inspiration from the ancient Celtic festival celebrated on May 1st, marking the arrival of summer. One of the four major Gaelic seasonal festivals that CIF honours, Bealtaine has become a time to celebrate creativity, connection and community. https://www.canadairelandfoundation.com/