![Goodbye Mr Muffin
for ages 5-9 [Denmark]
Once upon a time Mr. Muffin was young, strong and proud. He could carry a whole cucumber on his back! Now he is old, tired and grey. He sits alone in his house remembering... He makes a list of all the good things that has happened to him.
He decides he’s had a good life, better than most in fact. In an atmosphere of warmth, humor and respect, Goodbye Mr. Muffin tells the story of the last days in the life of a beloved guinea pig and the feelings and emotions (both happy and sad) that can be experienced by the passing of a much loved pet. A sad but warm and touching story..... a true celebration of a life well lived.](https://www.draiocht.ie/content/images/GoodbyeMrMuffin_2008.jpg?v=1673608716)
![Galumpha
for all ages [USA]
Combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy and inventive choreography, Galumpha brings to life a world of
imagination, beauty and fun. Three performers create a sensory feast of images, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime and which consistently brining audiences to their feet. Galumpha is a triumphant mix of art and entertainment, offering world class, award winning choreography (Edinburgh Festival Critics’ Choice Award) that is at home wherever it’s performed](https://www.draiocht.ie/content/images/Galumpha_2008.jpg?v=1673608713)
![The Man Who Planted Trees
for ages 6+ [Scotland]
This is a man with a mission! With his trusty dog at his side, a shepherd struggles against the odds to transform a barren, lonely landscape into a beautiful, vibrant forest. Share the trials and tribulations of the shepherd and his dog, listen to the wind, feel the rain, smell the lavender and the fresh woodland breeze! A uniquely memorable blend of comedy, puppetry and inspiring storytelling, The Man Who Planted Trees, an adaptation of Jean Giono’s wonderful environmental tale, bowled over children and adults alike in the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe](https://www.draiocht.ie/content/images/TheManWhoPlantedTrees_2008.jpg?v=1673608726)
![Circus INcognitus
for ages 5+ [Canada]
Jamie Adkins is back! A firm favourite of Spréacha 2005, Jamie returns with his new show, full of the thrills and spills that keep us hanging on the edge of our seats. Beginning with an empty stage and a single microphone, a shy Jamie musters the courage to face what he fears most, speaking in public. Over the next hour he creates the show around him using everyday objects to perform his fantastic circus routines and even builds the set with discarded props to create the backdrop for his humble idea of what a show should be! Each step of the show is fraught with new challenges, but for every problem there is a solution. Except Jamie’s solutions tend to be a bit unusual! Follow him on his adventure about having the courage to try new ideas, pushing them to their limits, not giving up when all goes wrong and most of all..... surprising yourself. Because you never know what you can do until you try.](https://www.draiocht.ie/content/images/CircusINcognitus_2008.jpg?v=1673608707)
![Swinging Bananas
for ages 4+ [The Netherlands]
Food, yummy, scrummy, food. But just imagine, before you put another forkful into your mouth, what if the food fought back? Imagine a potato
that protests, a banana that bounds off, a lettuce that simply leaves, a snack that snatches back.
S(w)inging Bananas is a very funny play full of imagination. A comic tale about a good little boy and a bad, bad, meal...](https://www.draiocht.ie/content/images/SwingingBananas_2008.jpg?v=1673608721)
![Dorthes Heart
for ages 3-6 [Denmark]
Dorthe is an extraordinary little girl. You can see her feelings and her dreams. Dorthe’s best friend is called Rasmus and when he comes to visit her, you can see butterflies in her stomach. Yes, you can actually see them fluttering around! Dorthe’s Heart is a wonderful performance for young children about feelings, told with song, music and love.](https://www.draiocht.ie/content/images/DorthesHeart_2008.jpg?v=1673608710)
Monsters - Dance in Schools Tour
On Tour November 2025
D15 Primary Schools
D15 Primary Schools
It’s the fifth annual Spréacha Festival at Draíocht in Blanchardstown. The magical seven day Spréacha Festival line up includes theatre performances, circus antics, storytelling and visual art exhibitions for children aged between 3 and 12 years & their families. With a top ticket price of just €5, and gallery events free, you’d be mad to miss out on the ‘magical’ Spréacha Festival 2008!
This year’s festival welcomes six companies from Denmark, the USA, Scotland, Canada and The Netherlands bringing their magical touch to Fingal. Four of these companies will be presenting the Irish premiere of their show in Dublin
15.
Meet the shepherd on a mission, with his trusty dog, as they transform a lonely barren landscape into a beautiful vibrant forest (The Man who Planted Trees, presented by Puppet State Theatre, Scotland, 6+ year olds); Enjoy stunning acrobatics and a sensory feast of images with physical comedy experts Galumpha who combine inventive choreography with imaginative movement and fun balancing tricks (Galumpha, presented by Galumpha, USA, suitable for all ages); Celebrate the life of the guinea pig Mr Muffin, once strong enough to carry a whole cucumber on his back, now feeling old and tired he reflects on the great life he’s led, in this sad but warm and touching story of the passing of a much loved pet (Goodbye Mr Muffin, presented by Teater Refleksion And De RǾde Heste, Denmark, 6-10 year olds); Prepare to gasp in wonder as you sit on the edge of your seat with the circus antics of Jamie Adkins; full of thrills and spills Jamie was a firm favourite of Spréacha 2005 (Circus INcognitus, presented by Jamie Adkins, Canada, 5+ year olds & family groups); Join an extraordinary little girl Dorthe who shares her dreams and feelings with us and shows us the fluttering butterflies in her stomach when her best friend Rasmus comes to visit (Dorthe’s Heart, presented by Det Lille Turneteater, Denmark, 3-6 year olds); and get ready for a food fight, a comic tale about a good little boy and a bad, bad meal (Swinging Bananas, presented by Theater Artemis, The Netherlands, 4+ year olds) … magical experiences for everyone in the family!
Add to that a visual arts programme especially for children: Draíocht invited five artists to make a new piece of work which is inspired by children’s play. The results are as fun as they are varied, an Indian rope trick … a giant 3D comic book … a bear that turns into an octopus … projected cartoons … and much more. Children are especially invited to come in and spend time exploring the gallery, while adults will find much to keep themselves amused at the same time. ‘Play’ is curated by Mark Garry, and features artists David Beattie, Anita Delaney, Katherine Lamb, Claire Maguire and Lee Welch.
The festival’s magic extends to workshops galore. Draíocht ag Damhsa celebrates the arrival of Galumpha Dance Company giving six lucky local school groups a 1 hour dance workshop ahead of the performance to try contemporary dance for themselves; With the help of local school children, Draíocht will be growing a paper tree in the first floor gallery, with each leaf being created using origami techniques. Afterwards the paper leaves will be sent to the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima, to join the 10 million paper cranes created by children around the world as a call for peace; Spréacha ends with 2 family days on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, where artists will be on hand to assist families create their own plaything or find out more about the Japanese art of origami.
Presented by Draíocht in partnership with Fingal County Council, Cllr. Alan Farrell, Mayor, Fingal County Council expressed his delight at Fingal’s continued involvement;
"This is a unique event in the cultural life of Fingal, a festival that has been specifically designed for children. Spreácha, which means ‘Spark’ or ‘Sparkles’, is an arts festival with professional groups and performers from countries throughout Europe and further afield, performing here in our Arts Centre. When you consider that Fingal has one of the largest youth populations of any county in Ireland, I think that it is very appropriate that we have an annual international children’s festival of this quality. I am delighted to report that over the last five years ‘Spreácha’ has become one of the premier children’s festivals in the Country." - Cllr. Alan Farrell, Mayor, Fingal County Council
Festival Director Emer McGowan expressed her excitement as Spréacha 2008 approaches;
"Spréacha is a very special time at Draíocht where we present the very best of International Children’s Theatre companies to the children, schools and families of Dublin 15, Fingal and beyond. The Festival alongside our Children’s/Youth Arts programme represents Draíocht’s commitment to bringing high quality arts experiences to children at affordable prices and within their own area. Each show is carefully chosen and each of them has those magical moments which can entertain, enrich and educate all of us." - Emer McGowan, Director, Spréacha & Draíocht
