New Play Explores Masculinity, Mental Health and the Power of Community – Live in Loughlinstown and at Dublin Fringe Festival 2025

A powerful new theatre production created by poet Colm Keegan and the members of the Loughlinstown Ballybrack Shanganagh (LBS) Men’s Shed is set to premiere this September as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival 2025. Titled What Are We Waiting For, the play is a funny and moving exploration of male mental health.

Created with support from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Creative Ireland, the production will be staged in a unique format in the Loughlinstown Community Rooms – the heart of the neighbourhood where the work was developed. 

The Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr. Jim Gildea said: 

“The Council is supportive of initiatives to promote the role of the arts in supporting positive mental health and creative expression in community settings.”

Set in a doctor's waiting room, What Are We Waiting For follows three men as they grapple with questions about identity, masculinity, responsibility, and the challenges of modern life. Drawing inspiration from the emotional resonance of Billy Roche and the surreal atmosphere of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, the play blends dialogue, poetry, and moments of actual magic to create a deeply personal yet universal story.

The script has been developed through a year-long collaboration between Keegan and the men of the Shed. Following a successful staged reading at the LexIcon Theatre earlier this year, the piece has been expanded to further reflect the lived experience, humour, and insight of its creators – many of whom had never stepped on a stage before.

Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council added: 

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is very proud to create opportunities that support art, created by local people. These opportunities ensure that culture is part of our everyday experience.”

Colm Keegan, who co-wrote the script with the men said: 

“This isn’t just a play – it’s a creative act of community. The lads have been through so much together, and their stories, their humour, their perspectives are really what makes this piece so special. James Joyce said 'in the particular is contained the universal,' and in the particular beauty of this very local and very creative performance, there’s universal experiences that everyone will relate to.”

LBS Men’s Shed describes itself as a “social shed” – a welcoming space where men of all backgrounds gather to connect, chat, and support one another.

“This play is about how we show up for each other in everyday ways,” said Mark Larkin, a core member of the Shed. “We want people to see that through talking and being open, you can find the confidence to just be yourself.”

What Are We Waiting For will run during Dublin Fringe Festival 2025 with three performances at the Loughlinstown Community Rooms. 

Tickets and schedule details are available via the Dublin Fringe Festival website.