Afterwards

Revelations, arguments and silly songs take one English solicitor and two very different Irish women to dawn as they look to a changed future while waiting in the recovery ward of an abortion clinic in the UK.

I really wish my mum was here. Like what’s next? What’s my life gonna be like now? Three women in the immediate aftermath of a life changing choice. Set in the recovery ward of an abortion clinic in the UK, two Irish Women – one a married mother of three, the other, an eighteen year old on her first foray out of Ireland – and a young English solicitor spend a disorienting night together as they wait for morning. Revelations, arguments, and silly songs take them to dawn as they look into a transformed future. Outside, the world keeps turning. This is Afterwards, written by award-winning theatre maker Janet Moran (A Holy Show, Swing). It’s a timely play exploring the consequences of the culture-changing movement, Repeal the 8th, resonating internationally with the current turmoil surrounding reproductive rights in the US and worldwide. The original production was staged at the Abbey's Peacock Stage before transferring to the Mermaid Arts Centre in 2024, shortly after her 2023 hit play Quake. Produced by Once Off Productions, supported by Fishamble's New Play Clinic and funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at Dublin Fringe Festival 2024.