Free encore screening of Once Upon a Bridge

Monday 28 February 2022

Druid today announced the return of their acclaimed production Once Upon a Bridge by Sonya Kelly. The play will be available free to view online from Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 March, as part of SEODA, Culture Ireland’s global online arts festival.

Once Upon a Bridge is a tale for a modern age. Early one morning on Putney Bridge in London, three strangers’ lives collided for one fleeting second. Inspired by real events, Once Upon a Bridge weaves a tale about human triumph and frailty, about the power of destiny and chance, and why sometimes we choose to hate, and other times we choose to dance.

The world premiere of Once Upon a Bridge was live streamed from Druid’s The Mick Lally Theatre, Galway in February 2021. The production was viewed in 35 countries during its original run of 4 live stream performances and 4 days of on-demand viewing.

Once Upon a Bridge received rave reviews from critics: The Guardian called it ‘compelling’ and ‘delicately uplifting’; The Irish Times said that ‘Sonya Kelly’s fascinating new drama is an insightful exploration of unchecked aggression and its regretful aftermath’; while the Sunday Independent praised the show’s ‘effortlessly flowing prose’ and ‘spot-on human insights’.

Alongside the public screening of the play, Druid has developed a series of educational resources for secondary school students as part of their award-winning Community and Education programme. These resources, including a teachers’ pack and video interviews with playwright Sonya Kelly, will help students to explore the art of playwriting and examine the social issues at the heart of the play.

Screening Information

The encore screening of Once Upon a Bridge will premiere on Culture Ireland’s YouTube channel on Wednesday 16 March at 7.30pm GMT. The play will be free to view online for 36 hours until Friday 18 March at 7.30am GMT.

Reviews for Once Upon a Bridge in 2021

‘compelling … delicately uplifting’
THE GUARDIAN

‘packs a terrific, touching punch … effortlessly flowing prose … spot-on human insights’
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

‘Sonya Kelly’s fascinating new drama is an insightful exploration of unchecked aggression and its regretful aftermath’
THE IRISH TIMES

‘Director Sara Joyce steers the action with perfect pacing’
IRISH INDEPENDENT

‘a compelling online production’
BUSINESS POST

‘a warm-hearted triumph’
BROADWAY WORLD