Tenderfoot showcases plays that reflect 16-year-old playwrights

‘Tenderfoot’, meaning ‘neophyte’, ‘newbie’, or ‘greenhorn’, is The Civic Theatre’s apprentice theatre programme for transition year students.

‘Tenderfoot’ supports the development of new theatrical voices.

The Tenderfoot Showcase presents a programme of plays by 16-year-old playwrights, plays reflecting their lives, their world, and plays exploring their fears, their worries, and their joys.

Performed and designed by a 65-strong ensemble of young people under the guidance of working theatre professionals.

This year’s programme features the following works: ‘Salem Sisters’ by Holly Murray of Lucan Community College, ‘Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’, a script for a short film by Blaithín Seville, and ‘Simon Says’, devised by the cast and Esosa Ighdaro.

Be sure to also keep an eye out for ‘Don’t Be a Stranger’ by Emily Pesak of Deansrath Community College, ‘Names Not Worth Remembering’ by Holly Raftery of Collinstown Park Community College, and ‘I Love You Too, Mam’ by Niamh Balfe of Lucan Community College.

This year Tenderfoot is working with 140 young people from 17 second-level schools in South Dublin County.

70 young people are working across performance, design, production, and stage management to present this programme of new work to you.

70 young people will take part in Tenderfoot’s Writing for Theatre Programme in March/April 2026. Veronica Coburn is Tenderfoot’s programme director.

The Tenderfoot Programme for 2026 will be directed by Esosa Ighodaro, Davey Kelleher, and Dominic O’Brien.

The programme is unique in providing a professional support system within which young people are empowered to make their own theatre.

‘Tenderfoot’ also provides the space for that work to be encountered by a peer audience.

It is a model of excellence of an arts in education programme which empowers creative expression in a vocational educational model. Apprenticeship is the mode of learning. Students learn by doing under the guidance of working theatre professionals.

‘Tenderfoot’ welcomes the introduction of Drama, Theatre, and Film Studies as a new subject in the Leaving Certificate programme.

School performances take place on Thursday, January 22, and Friday, January 23, at 12pm, followed by public performances on Saturday, January 24, at 2pm and 7pm.

Visit the Civic website for more details.