Every St. Patrick’s Day, Broadway has plenty of reasons to celebrate Ireland. For more than a century, Irish playwrights have helped define the language, humor, and emotional power of modern theatre. From Oscar Wilde’s sparkling comedies to contemporary works by Martin McDonagh, Conor McPherson, and Enda Walsh, Irish writers continue to shape what audiences see on New York stages.
Some of the most influential plays in theatre history were written by Irish dramatists, and in recent decades Broadway has also embraced Irish-authored musicals and new plays that bring distinctly Irish storytelling to American audiences.
Below are notable Broadway productions written by Irish writers.
Hangmen
Martin McDonagh returned to Broadway with Hangmen, which opened at the Golden Theatre on April 21, 2022 and ran through June 18, 2022 after previews began in April. The dark comedy takes place in 1965 England just after the abolition of capital punishment and follows Harry Wade, a former executioner navigating life after his profession disappears. Directed by Matthew Dunster and starring David Threlfall, the production earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Play and reminded audiences how sharply McDonagh blends menace, humor, and social observation.
Girl from the North Country
Irish playwright Conor McPherson wrote and directed the musical Girl from the North Country, which first opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre on March 5, 2020. The production was forced to close shortly after due to the Broadway shutdown but returned on October 13, 2021 and ran through June 19, 2022. Using the songs of Bob Dylan, the show tells the story of a struggling Minnesota guesthouse during the Great Depression. The production received seven Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, further establishing McPherson as one of the most distinctive contemporary Irish voices on Broadway.
The Cripple of Inishmaan
One of Martin McDonagh’s most beloved plays reached Broadway in a revival starring Daniel Radcliffe. The production opened at the Cort Theatre on April 20, 2014 and ran through July 20, 2014. Set on the remote Aran Islands in the 1930s, the play follows Billy Claven, a young disabled man who dreams of escaping his isolated village to pursue a life in film when a Hollywood crew arrives nearby. The production was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, introducing many Broadway audiences to McDonagh’s signature mix of biting humor and unexpected tenderness.
Once
Based on the beloved Irish film, Once opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18, 2012 and ran through January 4, 2015. With music by Irish songwriter Glen Hansard and a book by Irish playwright Enda Walsh, the show tells the intimate story of two musicians who meet on the streets of Dublin and discover an unexpected creative connection. The production won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and became known for its innovative staging in which the actors also served as the orchestra.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
Martin McDonagh’s breakthrough play arrived on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on April 23, 1998 and ran through August 16, 1998. Set in rural County Galway, the play follows Maureen Folan and her manipulative mother Mag in a darkly comic and increasingly unsettling portrait of isolation and resentment. The production received four Tony Award nominations including Best Play and helped establish McDonagh as one of the most exciting playwrights of his generation.
Dancing at Lughnasa
Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa premiered on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on October 24, 1991 and ran for more than a year through November 1992. Set in rural Donegal in 1936, the play follows the five Mundy sisters whose quiet lives are shaped by family tensions, economic uncertainty, and the changing world around them. The production won the Tony Award for Best Play and remains one of the most beloved Irish dramas ever to reach Broadway.
Waiting for Godot
Samuel Beckett’s landmark play Waiting for Godot made its Broadway debut at the John Golden Theatre on April 19, 1956. The play follows two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who spend their days waiting beside a lonely tree for someone named Godot who never arrives. Beckett’s surreal and philosophical drama introduced American audiences to the Theatre of the Absurd and has returned to Broadway several times since, including a celebrated revival starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in 2013. More recently, the play returned to Broadway in a high-profile revival starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, bringing renewed attention and a new generation of theatergoers to Beckett’s enduring meditation on time, existence, and human connection.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde’s dazzling comedy has been a Broadway staple for decades. One notable revival opened at the American Airlines Theatre on January 13, 2011 and ran through July 3, 2011. Wilde’s 1895 play follows two men who invent fictional identities to escape social obligations, only to become entangled in romantic complications. Its sparkling dialogue and playful satire of Victorian manners have made it one of the most enduring comedies in theatre history, frequently revived on Broadway and around the world.