Selected work

Matt and Hat

Matt and Hat was an immersive VR dance production that brought together motion-capture technology, krump choreography and theatrical installation. Premiered at Dublin Fringe Festival, the work invited audiences into a layered world where physical performance and digital space met.

Developed from concept through to final presentation, the production explored how technology might deepen — rather than distract from — audience experience. Through VR headsets, viewers entered Matt's imaginative journey, encountering a story about creativity, perseverance and possibility, shaped through movement and innovation.

Roots

Roots was a co-production between Off The Rails Dance and Playground Productions, commissioned as part of BELFAST 2024.

Selected as one of 17 city-wide commissions during a highly competitive process, Roots was an ambitious, large-scale dance work and specially designed garden installation at Black Mountain Shared Space in West Belfast. Set against the backdrop of the 'million brick' peace wall dividing the Springmartin and Springfield communities, the project reimagined a shared yet contested site through art, movement and planting.

Through a multi-sensory experience inspired by nature, the garden became a living performance space — hosting dance, poetry, storytelling and moments of active participation. Audiences were invited to move through the space, to watch, listen and connect, encountering the work as both performance and environment.

Developed in partnership with Black Mountain Shared Space and local communities, alongside Sow Grateful Flower Farm, Queen's University Belfast and the Eden Project (Cornwall), Roots brought together artists, gardeners and residents to create a space for reflection, exchange and renewal.

The project culminated in live performances within the flourishing garden, followed by an immersive audio trail installation that extended the life of the work beyond the performance moment.

The Letter

The Letter is a touring puppetry production for young audiences (10+) exploring the impact of war on children. Set in a world shaped by conflict, the story follows a boy who finds refuge in a shelter — alone, frightened and cut off from the outside world — until an unexpected connection begins to shift his sense of isolation.

Blending immersive theatre, puppetry, considered stage design and an original musical score, the production invites audiences to travel alongside its two characters as trust, care and empathy slowly emerge. The work approaches 'war' not only as armed conflict, but as any division that leaves lasting separation and silence in its wake.

Playground served as lead producer for the tour, supporting the development and presentation of the work across international contexts. The Letter brought together artists from Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ireland, reflecting a cross-border collaboration shaped by shared creative and cultural exchange.

The production was financed by Dublin City Arts Office (Ireland), the Creative Hubs Programme and the Central State Office for Croats Abroad. It was produced by Playground and Gea Gojak, with support from Backstage Theatre, the Croatian Centre UNIMA, the 29th Puppet Spring Festival and Istrian National Theatre Pula, Croatia.

Gutter

Gutter was a co-production between Playground Productions and Off The Rails, presented as part of Belfast International Arts Festival 2023.

This solo dance-theatre work explored human nature's appetite for gossip and the mechanics of attention in contemporary media culture. The performer assumed the role of "The Host", navigating a landscape where free speech, misinformation and integrity collide.

Blending contemporary dance and physical theatre, the production examined how stories are constructed, consumed and manipulated — and how audiences are implicated in that process. Rather than offering easy answers, Gutter invited reflection on independence, influence and the systems that shape public discourse.

Produced for Belfast International Festival, the work combined physical intensity with sharp political framing, keeping audience experience central to the encounter.

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