Returning after five years, the beloved Dingle dolphin is back to do what he was born to do: perform.
Fungie the dolphin was one of Ireland’s most cherished public figures until his mysterious disappearance five years ago, which left the nation in despair. Now, at least on stage, he is making a return.
New Irish writing – a play about Ireland’s aquatic sweetheart
The Wild Atlantic Wake is set for a run in Dublin’s Theatre@36 in the Teachers Club this week, from 25 to 29 November. A black comedy that claims to answer what really happened to Fungie the Dolphin, writer Jason Kennealy has created a tongue-in-cheek tribute to our favourite dolphin.
For anyone unfamiliar, Fungie was a dolphin who lived alone in Dingle Bay for many years and became a local celebrity. Dingle’s tourism industry grew around him, with many boat tours offering refunds if he was not spotted. Fungie was a wonder to see, until one day in October 2020, he vanished.
Written in 2019, before Fungie’s real-life disappearance, the development of the show stopped due to COVID-19 restrictions and, out of respect for the loss of the aquatic icon, remained paused until now.
Two brothers trying to cover up a murder – the absolute worst way to spend a hangover in Dingle
The play follows the story of the Creavan brothers, Francis and Beverly. After their father’s death, Beverly has taken to brewing poitín in their Dingle home to make ends meet.
With a strong dislike for Dingle’s most famous resident, Francis gets into the poitín supply and wakes the next day to find the town in chaos after the dolphin’s disappearance. Battling an intense hangover, the brothers work together to cover their tracks while trying to piece together the hazy events of the night before.
A love story for our lost icon – a tale of how Fungie touched the hearts of Ireland
While framed as a comedy, the play speaks of the affection Ireland, and especially Dingle, had for Fungie. It embraces the tragically ironic humour the Irish often turn to in times of grief.
The show is the first production from Messers Theatre, a group of five theatre makers: Oscar Monahan, James Hayes, Gráinne Christmas, Bronagh Donaghey and Hannah Lemass. Directed by Monahan and produced by Christmas, the cast features Hayes, Donaghey and Lemass alongside Declan Ryan and Adele Crilly.
“This is an incredibly exciting project that has been on my radar since 2019”, Christmas says. “I was involved as an actor during its early development, and I worked with the writer over the past year to help fine-tune it. What we have now is a gut-punchingly funny play that we hope will go far”.
Interested in this dolphin-themed caper? The Wild Atlantic Wake will run from 25 to 29 November at Theatre@36. Tickets available at https://thewildatlanticwake.eventbrite.ie
