“I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped a berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout.” W.B. Yeats
If you’re looking to get away from it all at this year’s festival, then follow the path into the woods and immerse yourself in the tranquil wonderland that is The Hazel Wood! Now in its fourth year, The Hazel Wood has firmly established itself as the festival’s go-to spot for an eclectic mix of theatre, storytelling, spoken word and music. Set in a secluded woodland haven amongst a circle of traditional horse-drawn caravans, centred around a crackling campfire and adorned with a beautiful array of visual art, The Hazel Wood is a sanctuary where you can exhale, unwind and lose yourself amongst the wonder of it all.
This year The Hazel Wood is proud to welcome onstage:
Theatre by THE GAIETY SCHOOL OF ACTING with their new production MISS PLACED, music by LIAM O’CONNOR a captivating performance of deep rooted traditional Irish music, song and dance, a spellbinding display of raw energy, passion and melodic genius. DOWTCHA PUPPETS will be returning to The Hazel Wood this year with their new production GRANNY’S MAGIC MEDICINE, as well as a newly devised play from the graduates of THE LIR ACADEMY titled AN MADRE DUBH. YOUTH WORK IRELAND LAOIS have searched high and low for the next big youth acts from Laois and the finalist of ELECTRIC YOUTH will be preforming on The Hazel Wood stage. KISCO PRODUCTION is returning this year with their awarding winning production HAPPYSLAPPED. There will be music full of personality and tradition from THE BONNY MEN and CALLBACK THEATRE will present FRED&ALICE a quirky love story about two amazing mischievous characters who meet in a home!
The Hazel Wood is delighted to welcome its new resident theatre group STRIVE THEATRE, they are a multi-disciplinary performance group and will be presenting THE CROSSOVER a celebration of nature, youth culture and meaningful collaborations. CEREBRAL FORTRESS is a late night immersive theatre experience and this year you will be a patient in THE HOME FOR THE FESTIVELY INSANE!
The Hazel Wood featured Visual Artists this year will be EMMA QUINN with DREAMS, let your senses aid you in awakening your imagination and PAUL D’ARCY with THE SALMON OF KNOWLEDGE, a vestibule of potential and wisdom waiting to be unlocked. When the sun goes down CONRADH NA GAEILGE invites festival goers to wander in The Hazel Wood AFTER DARK, where a full program of Irish language, culture and music will bewitch all who enter.
If that’s not enough, the cosy indoor café bar will be returning this year, where you can enjoy a refreshing cold beer or a piping hot cuppa while immersing yourself in a selection of spoken word performances by BOUNDLESS & BARE.
Our all-female comedy line-up returns on Thursday 29th August for the early entry campers with some of Ireland’s most exciting stand-up comedians Emma Doran, Ailish McCarthy, Aoife O’Connor, Bláithín de Burca, Emily Ashmore, Justine Stafford, Grace Mulvey, Saoirse Smith, Christina McMahon, Jessica Collins, Louise O’Toole, Kate Feeney, Grace Campbell, Diane O’Connor and Gillian Fitzgerald.
So, whether you’re looking for a cosy spot to chat, an enchanting world of storytelling and performance art, or somewhere calm to nurse a heavy head, then The Hazel Wood is for you!