A gunshot in occupied territory. A deaf boy is killed for disobeying orders he couldn’t hear. The next day, the whole town wakes up deaf.  

Adapted from the poems of Ukrainian-American author Ilya Kaminsky, Deaf Republic is an epic modern fable of war, humanity and collective resistance.  

Created in collaboration with Sign Language poet Zoë McWhinney, and told through a mix of spoken English, Sign, creative captioning and silence, Deaf Republic brings together an ensemble of deaf and hearing actors, alongside aerial performers, puppetry, live cinema and poetry.

Deaf Republic is a co-production with Royal Court Theatre in association with Dublin Theatre Festival and Complicité. It premiered at Royal Court Theatre Downstairs on September 4th 2025.

“This extraordinary piece of theatre asks many questions about society, totalitarianism and complicity… it opens a portal into the kind of theatrical experience that is increasingly rare, inviting accessibility before denying it by shutting down some of the experiential avenues... Unmissable.”
★★★★★
Sunday Express

“Dublin’s Dead Centre is a true marvel, a theatre company that makes intensely visceral works that feel like they’ve been wrenched from a beautiful dream and a screaming nightmare simultaneously… Deaf Republic is a haunting and visceral new work, a ravishing and unnerving play about deafness, occupation, resistance, puppets and things that hover outside the edge of comprehension.”
★★★★
Time Out

“An unsettling, enthralling mix of puppetry, circus, and sign language… an experimental epic of war and resistance that’ll make you rub your eyes and reach desperately for something real to hold on to.”
★★★★
Independent

Cast
ROMEL BELCHER
CAOIMHE COBURN GRAY
DERBHLE CROTTY
KATE FINEGAN
EOIN GLEESON
LISA KELLY
DYLAN TONGE JONES

Adaptation by DEAD CENTRE and ZOË MCWHINNEY

Stage Design JEREMY HERBERT
Costume MAE LEAHY
Light AZUSA ONO
Video GRANT GEE
Sound & Composition KEVIN GLEESON

Puppetry Consultant CILLIAN O’DONNACHA
Alfonso, Sonya and Galya puppets created by LUCIE ROBINSON at MARRIONETTES.CZ

Aerial Consultants CHRISSIE ARDILL & KAT COOLEY
Aerial Crew MERLIN STONE, JOE GARCIA, JENNY TUFTS, MARIE WILLIAMSON

Creative Access Consultants ZOOCO

Video Programmer MICHAEL DUNNE
Associate Sound Designer FRED DE FAYE
Audio Engineer AIDAH SAMA
Lighting Programmer & Relighter PETER BOND
Assistant Director LIAM REES
Dramaturgs LYDIA GRATIS & JESS LATOWICKI
ISL Translator SENAN DUNNE
Fight Choreographer CIARÁN O’GRADY
Intimacy Coordinators ROISIN O’DONOVAN & ABI KESSEL

Stage Manager SIBÉAL NÍ MHAOILEOIN 
Company Stage Manager (Royal Court Theatre) AMBER CHAPELL
Assistant Stage Manager ROSS SMITH
Assistant Stage Manager (Dublin Theatre Festival) ANIKA KIDD
Production Manager GAVIN KENNEDY

Direction BUSH MOUKARZEL & BEN KIDD
Producer TILLY TAYLOR
Associate Producer LIANNE QUIGLEY

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