The Gate Theatre is delighted to announce its festival residency at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, celebrating its close relationship with Brian Friel through three of his masterworks: Faith Healer, Afterplay, and The Yalta Game.

Earlier this year Brian Friel celebrated his 80th birthday. In recognition of this significant anniversary, the Gate produced this unique season at the Sydney Festival with Faith Healer, starring Ingrid Craigie, Kim Durham and Owen Roe; Afterplay, starring Francesca Annis and Niall Buggy; and The Yalta Game, starring Risteárd Cooper and Rebecca O’Mara. The productions enjoyed critical acclaim and the following reviews:

‘The Gate Theatre has been an integral part of the success of modern Irish drama. At the Sydney Festival it offers a peerless tribute to the work of Brian Friel’ The Age

‘Gate Theatre Dublin's celebration of Friel's 80th birthday…the last of Fergus Linehan's four festivals, has been wonderful’ The Australian  

‘The storytelling, as to be expected of the Gate Theatre, is highly accomplished and … works its magic in the most natural and unforced of ways’ Sydney Morning Herald

‘Beautifully performed by Francesca Annis and Niall Buggy, two superb actors who can convey great depths of feeling in a brief gesture or a slight smile’ The Australian

The Gate Theatre is grateful to Culture Ireland for their generous support with this tour.