“Visceral and sensational, taking your breath away.” —The Arts Review
A murder, an interrogation, and a clouded world of fantasy and fear. Scorched Earth is part crime-drama, part thriller that plumbs a dark, but fundamental part of the Irish psyche. Luke Murphy, creator of the multi-award-winning Volcano, blurs the lines of dance and theater to ask: What right do we have to the land beneath our feet? What are we willing to do to keep it?
Inspired by the John B. Keane’s seminal work The Field,Scorched Earth imagines a detective reopening a cold case, an unsolved crime twelve years after the fact. As stories are revisited and old wounds are opened, the detective and suspect fall into a world of memory, fantasy, ambition, and resentment.
Scorched Earth is brought to you by the team who created the multi-award winning production Volcano, including Luke Murphy (director, choreographer, and performer), Alyson Cummins (set design), Stephen Dodd (lighting), and Rob Moloney (music).
“Visceral and sensational, taking your breath away." —The Arts Review Read the full review
★★★★
“Tight narrative and clever design are central to the success of Scorched Earth, but the immutable physical bond between the human body and land is what lingers after the curtain falls.” —The Irish Times Read the full review
★★★★
“Murphy’s vision is singular, and realised expertly in the show’s rich, multifaceted design.” —Irish Examiner Read the full review
Learn more about the show
This show will run 90 minutes with no intermission.
This show features haze and herbal cigarette use.
Ages 12 and up are recommended for this performance. No one under age 5 will be admitted.
If you have purchased tickets with the intent to resell them at markup prices, your account will be flagged and deactivated.
Any remaining tickets will default to Will Call pick up with valid proof of identification, and you will not be eligible for any exchanges or returns.
Artwork by FAILSPACE with a photo from Marcin Lewandowski | Production photography by Teddy Wolff
Scorched Earth is made possible with the generous support of Culture Ireland, Noah Zinsmeister & Alice Liang, and The Harkness Foundation for Dance.
Scorched Earth was originally created in Co-Production with Dublin Dance Festival and Galway International Arts Festival, supported by a 2025 Arts Council of Ireland Arts Grant Award, with additional support from Dance Cork Firkin Crane, Shawbrook Residential, and The Abbey Theatre.
