Ciarán Bourke, Luke Kelly, John Sheahan Barney McKenna, Ronnie Drew. Anyone who is aware of Irish folk music over the past 50+ years will know these names point to The Dubliners – who paved the way for the global appreciation of Irish folk artists the following decades. Created and directed by Dublin-born Ged Graham, Seven Drunken Nights: A History of The Dubliners features the cream of Ireland’s musicians –  Luc Power, Eoghan Burke, Shane Morgan, Aidan Keane, Peet Jackson, Conor Kenny, Dylan Graham, Aidan Burke – who come together to take the audience on a musical odyssey over the last half century or so.

Unlike jukebox musicals that feature a ‘greatest hits’ package for well-known artists with a fictitious ‘book’, Seven Drunken Nights for the most part runs in chronological order of the band’s successes and discography. And while each half of the show is bookended with the well-known hits, the curated songs used throughout are chosen with care – representative of the fortunes and ‘sound’ of The Dubliners at any given time. From what I observed, the audience knew all the songs anyway, so it could be argued that this is a show for true fans of The Dubliners, rather than those with a passing interest.

Anchoring the show from beginning to end as narrator/compère and musician, Graham mentions in the show the importance of Luke Kelly’s experiences, spending time with the Irish diaspora in England, in the years before the band began recording. The traditional songs that were fondly remembered by the ex-pats served as a reminder of Ireland’s musical heritage and mirrored the ‘Mandela effect’, when the Italian diaspora in America influenced and ‘improved upon’ the variety of ingredients that were used to make pizzas, compared to the ‘old country’. But I digress.

As well as the musical anecdotes that are peppered throughout the show, TV adverts from Irish (and British) TV, also feature between the songs. They certainly hit the ‘nostalgia vein’! As for the decor onstage, it’s fitted out like a local pub with optics and the works, which adds to the bonhomie of the evening. Judging by the audience’s requests for encores, a good time was had by all and a sign that the show will be popular with Dubliners fans everywhere.

© Michael Davis 2026

Seven Drunken Nights ran at The Alexandra, Birmingham on 25th March. It continues its UK tour at the following dates and venues:

27th March
Kings Theatre Southsea, 24 Albert Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO5 2QJ
https://www.kingsportsmouth.co.uk/whatson-event/seven-drunken-nights/

28th March
Chatham Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4AS
https://www.medwayticketslive.co.uk/event/Seven-Drunken-Nights-The-Story-Of-The-Dubliners

29th March
King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1JW
https://www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk/theatre/whats-on/music/seven-drunken-nights/

31st March
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/edinburgh-playhouse/

1st April
Hull City Hall, Queen Victoria Square, Hull, HU1 3RQ
https://www.hulltheatres.co.uk/theatre-events/seven-drunken-nights

2nd April
De Montfort Hall, Granville Road, Leicester, LE1 7RU
https://www.demontforthall.co.uk/event/seven-drunken-nights/

3rd April
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 1UG
https://www.aylesbury-theatre.co.uk/shows/aylesbury-waterside-theatre/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners

4th April
Princess Theatre, Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO15 1SE
https://www.princestheatre.co.uk/event?i=873675367

7th April
New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/new-wimbledon-theatre/

8th April
Princess Theatre, Torbay Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5EZ
https://www.torquay-theatre.co.uk/venues/princess-theatre-torquay

9th April
Swansea Grand Theatre, Singleton Street, Swansea, SA1 3QJ
https://www.swanseagrand.co.uk/article/1495/Whats-on

10th April
Frome Memorial Theatre, Christchurch Street West, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1EB
https://fromememorialtheatre.org.uk/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/

11th April
Granville Theatre, Victoria Parade, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 8DG
https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/seven-drunken-nights

12th April
Liverpool Empire Theatre, 1 Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JE
https://www.liverpool-theatre.co.uk/shows/liverpool-empire/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners

14th April
Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5AL
https://www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk/shows/seven-drunken-nights-2026

16th April
New Victoria Theatre, Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GQ
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/new-victoria-theatre/

17th April
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Eastgate Street, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST16 2LT
https://www.gatehousetheatre.co.uk/whatson-event/seven-drunken-nights/

18th April
New Theatre Cardiff, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3LN
https://trafalgartickets.com/new-theatre-cardiff/en-GB/whats-on

19th April
Reading Hexagon Theatre, Queens Walk, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 7UA
https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/seven-drunken-nights-1

21st April
Sunderland Empire, 4-5 High Street West, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR1 3EX
https://www.sunderland-theatre.co.uk/venues/sunderland-empire

22nd April
Regent Theatre, Piccadilly, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 1AP
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/regent-theatre/

23rd April
Wyvern Theatre, Theatre Square, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 1QN
https://trafalgartickets.com/wyvern-theatre-swindon/en-GB/event/music/seven-drunken-nights-tickets

24th April
Worthing Pavilion Theatre, Marine Parade, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3PX
https://wtm.uk/events/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners-2/

25th – 26th April
Jersey Opera House, Gloucester Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4UF
https://www.jerseyoperahouse.co.uk/events/

28th April 2026
Lincoln Theatre Royal, Clasketgate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN2 1ES
https://www.theatreroyal.com/whats-on/

29th April
Tewkesbury Roses Theatre, Barton Street, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 5PB
https://www.rosestheatre.org/events/seven-drunken-nights-2

30th April
York Theatre Royal (York Opera House), St Leonard’s Place, York, YO1 7HD
https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/whatson/

1st May
Weston Playhouse Theatre, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 1HP
https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/playhouse-theatre/whats-on/seven-drunken-nights

2nd May
Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall, The Leas, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 2DZ
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/leas-cliff-hall/

3rd May
London Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London, W1D 7EZ
https://www.dominiontheatre.com/whats-on

5th May
Bridgwater McMillan Theatre, High Street, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3BL
https://www.mcmillantheatre.com/events/seven-drunken-nights—the-story-of-the-dubliners-870/

7th May
The Hawth Crawley, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 6YZ
https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth/whats-on

8th May
Orchard Theatre Dartford, Home Gardens, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1ED
https://orchardtheatre.co.uk/Online/whats-on

9th May
Marina Theatre Lowestoft, Marina, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1HH
https://www.marinatheatre.co.uk/whatson-event/seven-drunken-nights-2/

10th May
Gordon Craig Theatre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 1LZ
https://everyonetheatres.com/whats-on/seven-drunken-nights-2/

13th May
Hall For Cornwall, Back Quay, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2LL
https://www.hallforcornwall.co.uk/whats-on/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/

14th May
Regent Centre Christchurch, High Street, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 1AW
https://theregent.co.uk/event/99966

15th May
Towngate Theatre Basildon, St Martin’s Square, Basildon, Essex, SS14 1DL
https://towngatetheatre.co.uk/seven-drunken-nights/

16th May
Venue Cymru, The Promenade, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 1BB
https://www.venuecymru.co.uk/seven-drunken-nights-3

17th May
Theatre Severn, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8FT
https://www.theatresevern.co.uk/shows/whatson

19th May
Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN
https://buxtonoperahouse.org.uk/event/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners-2026

20th – 21st May
The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB
https://theatkinson.co.uk/whats-on/

22nd May
Cast Doncaster, Waterdale, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN1 3BU
https://castindoncaster.com/whats-on

23rd May
Blackpool Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 1HT
https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/event/seven-drunken-nights

24th May
Oxford New Theatre, George Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 2AG
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/seven-drunken-nights-the-story-of-the-dubliners/new-theatre-oxford/