Comedy drama ‘Happiness Then’ comes to the Civic

A RIVETING comedy drama is coming to the Civic Theatre, delving into the relationship between two sisters, Bridget and Frances, who meet for the first time after their Mother’s death.

Eternally at odds, they bicker as only sisters can over everything from the wine to the will.

Exploring the fallout of being left behind, loves and losses are examined and re-examined with acerbic wit and delicious put-downs.

Can Bridget’s and Frances’ searching need for sisterly support help to mend their broken relationships, not only with each other but with their loved ones, before it’s too late?

‘Happiness Then…’ is presented by Bewley’s Cafe Theatre and Moll Productions, directed by Liam Halligan, written by Elizabeth Moynihan, and starring Rachael Dowling and Sorcha Furlong.

Set and lighting design is by Eoin Lennon, and costume design is by Toni Bailey.

This week, The Echo sat down with Rachael Dowling to discuss ‘Happiness Then…’, which performs in the Civic Theatre from May 12 to 15 at 8:15pm, with a 1pm performance on May 14; booking details are on the Civic website.

What can you tell us about ‘Happiness Then…’ without giving too much away?

‘Happiness Then…’ is a play centred around two estranged sisters, Frances and Bridget meeting to discuss the aftermath of their mothers’ death and will.

They’re also meeting in an effort to try to reconnect with each other despite a litany of shared grievances, deep hurts and perceived betrayals.

Initially, neither Frances nor Bridget is willing to give an inch, which shows up in moments of both hilarity and cutting poignancy.

As the play unfolds, we journey deeper into the individual lives of these two complex women through a mixture of comedy and tragedy.

The play could be said to be about the fragility of familial love and how far – or not – two sisters are willing to go to mend their broken relationship.

Were you familiar with the work of Elizabeth Moynihan before you got involved with this production?

I was familiar with Elizabeth Moynihan’s work mostly as an actor before I got to know it.

Elizabeth lived and worked in London for years, but we’d often meet at auditions and always really connected.

I had watched the series she writes and stars in on YouTube – ‘Bust’, which I found hilarious.

I loved her sense of humour, and her comic timing is second to none, but I hadn’t seen any of her plays in production.

In the early days, I was living in Manhattan and Elizabeth in London, so we wouldn’t have crossed paths much then, of course.

How did the opportunity to star in this production come about for you; what inspired you to audition for this role?

Liam Halligan – our Director, asked if I might read the play and consider playing Bridget.

I knew after the first read that I wanted to do it.

Firstly, the general story and circumstances of the play completely drew me in but it was the mixture of precision contemporary writing as well as Elizabeth’s nuanced sense of the theatrical excited me.

For me, the play brilliantly explores a really difficult sibling relationship. Elizabeth fiercely, succinctly articulates the oblique codes of communication that can exist between siblings.

I was thrilled by her ability – within a one- or two-sentence exchange – to make me laugh out loud and then shiver and recoil with dread while reading the piece.

I was also inspired by Elizabeth’s deep empathy for her characters in all their darkness and shadow.

My character Bridget, the older sister, appears, for most of the play, to exist and live on a certain, not always endearing frequency, but as the play unfolds, I am intrigued by the character’s ability to keep going, to appear formidable – despite some very difficult circumstances.

All these elements excited me in terms of the playing of this character.

The depth of the comedy and tragedy is really what drew me to wanting to bring this character, Bridget, alive on stage.

What has been your favourite part of working on ‘Happiness Then…’ so far and why?

There are so many favourite parts for me to working on ‘Happiness Then…’

Our team. Sorcha Furlong playing Frances; Liam Halligan, our Director, Elizabeth Moynihan, our writer; Kate Canning, our producer; and costume designer Toni Bailey and set designer Eoin Lennon – we all work so hard to make the play the very best it can be.

That collegiality, for me, makes a production worth doing.

I also love experiencing the journey through the play – with the audience.

Feeling their shifts and reactions and the energy we create together in the theatre.

The pain and joy of live theatre. Nothing beats it, and ‘Happiness Then…’ delivers that, for me, in spades.

What have been some of the biggest challenges involved with this production for you so far, and how have you navigated them?

Initially, the biggest challenge for me was getting enough rehearsal time within the budget to fully realise the character and honour what the play was exploring.

We were on a very tight budget and very, very tight rehearsal time – so it felt more stressful.

We might have initially opened, flying by the seat of our pants, which was scary and challenging, but thankfully we got a wonderful reception from our audiences and from reviewers, and the play has now had two highly successful sold-out runs.

What is next for you after this? Do you have any other projects planned for 2026?

Since initially working with Elizabeth on ‘Happiness Then…’, we’ve developed not only a wonderful friendship but also a strong, creative relationship.

This can be a rare occurrence, and I treasure it.

We are currently working on two new plays of hers. It is a thrill to collaborate with Elizabeth on two completely different characters in two fascinating plays.

I also play Grace in a new short film, ‘Bitter Bloom’, written by Elizabeth and directed by Edvinus Maciulevicius, which is currently in post-production.

My own short film ‘Growing Together’, funded by Screen Ireland, which I have written and will direct, will also be shot in Dublin in 2026 so I’m greatly looking forward to that too.

Who would you like to thank for helping you with this performance?

I would just like to thank Elizabeth for trusting me with her work and the rest of our team for the warmth and love we create during this production.

I would also like to thank Paschal Mahoney, my ever-patient husband, for hearing my lines and drilling me at all hours of the day and night!