Scorched Earth Luke Murphy's Attic Projects
Presented by Dublin Dance Festival and the Abbey Theatre
World Premiere | Co-produced by DDF | DDF Artist in Residence
Ireland
Crime-drama meets dance theatre in this gripping exploration of ambition, land and legacy.
Fri 23—Sat 24 May 2025
A murder, an interrogation and a world shrouded in fantasy and fear, Scorched Earth is part crime-drama, part psychological thriller, piercing into a dark but fundamental element of the Irish psyche.
↓ Read moreHow long?
90 mins (no interval)
The performance includes spoken text (English), flashing lights, herbal cigarettes and images of violence.
When?
Fri 23 May
Sat 24 May
From the show
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Edge of your seat entertainment – Tense, troubling and touching – a new kind of storytelling in theatre to rival any other modern medium – It is not an overstatement to say that you will not have seen anything like this before."
The Irish Times on Volcano
"Luke Murphy's ravishing Volcano at St Ann's Warehouse is a mind warping, lost-in-space time capsule steeped in futurist nostalgia for a collective past. Nearly 4 molten hours; I could've stayed all night."
The Guardian on Volcano
★ ★ ★ ★ "Ballyturk meets Black Mirror – a scintillating assault on the senses. The meticulous attention to detail is evident across all aspects of this production – set, costume, sound and lighting design cohere to mesmerising effect. Murphy is a phenomenal talent."
The Irish Examiner on Volcano
What right do we have to the land beneath our feet? What are we willing to do to keep it? Or to take it?
Inspired by John B Keane’s The Field, Scorched Earth transports the audience into a stark interrogation room as a detective and suspect unearth the ghosts of a long-unsolved murder.
Blurring the lines of dance and theatre, Murphy weaves a tapestry of compelling storytelling, striking visuals and visceral movement. The cast of five international performers plunge us into a world of memory, ambition and resentment, culminating in a final chapter that leaves no doubt as to the cost of success.
From DDF Artist in Residence and the creators of the multi-award-winning Volcano, Scorched Earth is a bold reckoning with the haunting forces that shape our past and define our future.
Credits
- Cast Luke Murphy, Ryan O’Neill, Sarah Dowling, Tyler Carney-Faleatua, Will Thompson
- Voiceover Artist Eavan Gaffney
- Direction, Writing and Choreography Luke Murphy
- Rehearsal Direction Stephen Moynihan
- Set and Costume Design Alyson Cummins
- Lighting Design Stephen Dodd
- Composition and Sound Design Rob Moloney
- Audio Visual Design Patricio Cassinoni
- Costume Design Assistant and Grass Suit Maker Valentina Gambardella
- Set Build Adam Fitzsimons, Triangle Productions Ltd
- Production Management Simon Bird
- Chief LX Alan Mooney
- Audio Engineer Aidah Sama
- Stage Management Chris Hopcraft, Iain Synnott
- Prop Coordination Laura Murphy
- AV Technician Laura Rainsford
- Make-Up Maeve O'Sullivan
- Digital Marketing Associates Emer Casey, Ineke Lavers
- PR Conleth Teevan
- Photography Marcin Lewandowski
- Produced by Gwen Van Spyk
- Associate Producer Miles Harrigan
- Soundtrack Recording:
- Viola Ultan O' Brien
- Violin / Viola Joanna Mattrey
- Viola Lisa Dowdall
- Cello Caitríona Finnegan
- Double Bass Malachy Robinson
- Piano Brian Dillon
- Accordion / Guitae / Percussion / Electronics Rob Moloney
- Recording Engineer Elise Mollé
- Mix Engineer Elise Mollé
- Mastering Jamie Hyland
Co-produced by Dublin Dance Festival and Galway International Arts Festival. Supported by a 2025 Arts Council of Ireland Arts Grant Award.
