Big Ambitions: a FRINGE LAB & Fishamble: The New Play Company Partnership
We are delighted to be announcing the third edition of Big Ambitions, a partnership with Fishamble: The New Play Company and FRINGE LAB, for this year’s edition of Dublin Fringe Festival. This initiative provides dramaturgical supports towards the development of two excellent new plays set to premiere in the 2025 edition of the Festival.
The artists and shows that are part of this year’s Big Ambitions scheme are Am I the A**hole? by Dafe Orugbo and That’s Sooo Povo by Sophie O’Toole and Trudy Nolan These shows will each have their world premiere this September at Dublin Fringe Festival 2025. Both projects will receive detailed dramaturgical mentorship from Fishamble’s Literary Manager Gavin Kostick and Literary Assistant Eimear Hussey. The support is shaped by the needs of the artists.
'"Fishamble is absolutely delighted to partner with Fringe once again, to bring works by theatre artists with Big Ambitions to audiences in Dublin. Sophie O'Toole, Trudy Nolan, and Dafe Orugbo are exceptionally talented artists with a lot to say about contemporary life. We are proud to be supporting them at this stage of their artistic journey.”
Gavin Kostick, Literary Manager, Fishamble: The New Play Company
“Fishamble: The New Play Company is a world class company delivering work class supports. Working with them on Big Ambitions is a really significant partnership that underscores the centrality of new writing to Dublin Fringe Festival. The support offered in this parentship gives real space and time to emerging writers, giving them the opportunity to experiment in their writing before their premieres at Dublin Fringe Festival 2025. We look forward to seeing how this support shapes two brilliant plays in the Festival – Am I the A**hole? and That’s Sooo Povo.”
Katherine Murphy, Programme Manager, Dublin Fringe Festival
Partnership History
Over the last few years, Fishamble: The New Play Company and Dublin Fringe Festival decided to formalise our play development partnership through this initiative - Big Ambitions. Big Ambitions was initially developed in 2020 as part of FRINGE LAB’s Fringe 50, a pandemic initiative in which FRINGE LAB supported 50 artists who introduced themselves to us through our festival application process as they continued crafting and coalescing their big ideas.
Through this scheme Fishamble’s Gavin Kostick provided ongoing mentorship to six new plays: Lianne O’Hara’s Fluff, William Dunleavy’s Narcissus, Harry Butler’s What Time It Shuts, Megan McDonnell’s Allie Down the Boghole, Bríd Ní Chomáin & Siofra O'Meara’s Clearance and Emma Finnegan, Sam Killian & Annachiara Vispi’s Pig Brain, several of which went on to successful premieres. Fishamble supported the development of the following plays through the initiative:
2022: The Perfect Immigrant by Samuel Yakura
2023: Mmanwu by Dagogo Hart and Hand of God by Carley Magee and Aason Finnegan
2024: Arínọlá Theatre’s Ololufe and Joy Nesbitt’s Julius Cesear Variety Sho
2025 SELECTED SHOWS AND WRITERS
That’s Sooo Povo – Co-Written by Sophie O'Toole & Trudy Nolan
Sophie is an actor, writer, and theatre maker from Crumlin. She is a graduate of the TUD Conservatoire. She is also an Axis Assemble Artist 2024. After finishing both her final year and residency, she formed a theatre group with Trudy Nolan called D’Girlos, aiming to bridge the class gap in cultural spaces. She’s interested in developing her own work and making an impact on the arts. Sophie's work is primarily socially engaged practice. Sophie is a multimedia artist and has a huge interest in filmmaking as well as theatre making.
Trudy is a Tallaght based actor and theatre maker. Trudy has a particular interest in immersive theatre, movement and exploring social issues. She graduated from the BA (Hons) Drama (Performance) degree in TU Dublin in 2024 with a first-class honors. In 2025 Trudy set up D’Girlos theatre group along with Sophie O’Toole to create space for working class art in our theatres. Trudy has a deep connection with and is heavily involved with local community arts and has a keen interest in exploring the connections between communities through drama and theatre.
Am I the A**hole? – Written by Dafe Orugbo Dafe is a multi-award-winning multidisciplinary artist with a dynamic artistic practice coupled with years of industry experience. He has toured both nationally and internationally, featured in global television projects and works extensively in arts education around the country. He is particularly interested in art that centres on the audience's experience. A creative and forward-thinking artist, Dafe Orugbo has achieved international acclaim as one-half of hip-hop duo Tebi Rex, releasing two albums and touring Ireland, UK and Europe. He writes on topics ranging from modern-day Ireland to Greek mythology and is an experienced public speaker, live performer, writer, spoken word artist and theatre maker.
He holds an MA in Critical & Creative Media that saw him create a groundbreaking documentary on Irish subcultures and has since become a leading cultural commentator and a respected mentor to young people. For the 2022 Dublin Fringe, he created Filmore! - a project inspired by the internet and meme culture that combined an interactive art installation with a live performance that won him the George Fitzmaurice Award that same year.
ABOUT FISHAMBLE: THE NEW PLAY COMPANY
Fishamble discovers, develops and produces new plays of national importance with a global reach. It has toured its productions to audiences throughout Ireland, and to 19 other countries. It champions the role of the playwright, typically supporting over 50% of the writers of all new plays produced on the island of Ireland each year. Fishamble has received many awards in Ireland and internationally, including an Olivier Award.