About Us
The Gate Theatre has been, artistically and architecturally, a landmark building for over 250 years. Established as a theatre company in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir, the Gate offered Dublin audiences an introduction to the world of European and American theatre and also to classics from the modern and Irish repertoire. It was with the Gate that Orson Welles, James Mason and Michael Gambon began their prodigious acting careers.
Today, in its 82nd year, the Gate has become unique in that it has had only two artistic directorates. In 1983, the directorship passed to Michael Colgan under whose guidance the theatre continues to represent Ireland at the very highest level of artistic endeavour, receiving numerous invitations each year to major festivals on every continent.
In addition to its artistic programme, the theatre has undergone a continuous process of renovation and upgrading to ensure the preservation of the eighteenth-century building. In recent years a major fundraising campaign was undertaken for the provision of a new wing, which is now home to the Gate Lab. Used primarily for workshops, research and the general promotion of theatrical talent, the Gate Lab offers theatre practitioners a private space to develop and nurture creativity. We continue to be committed to raising standards in performance, direction and design and, most importantly, giving you our audience the very highest quality productions that you have come to expect.
