It Was Paradise, Unfortunately

…It’s time for us to take it back

Several times a year, the entire Western world and beyond would come together to celebrate Dionysos, the transgender god of theatre. Thousands of people gathered for these week-long celebrations which saw patriarchal norms turned on their head. Enslaved people were emancipated, women were liberated, and the citizens fiercely competed in tragedies and comedies. It was a radical social intervention, and the birth of western theatre.

So where did it all go wrong?

Using his training as a journalist, Raphaël Amahl Khouri makes an extraordinary, ground-breaking discovery, offering a bold and inclusive new vision for theatre artists and audiences in the 21st century.

Commissioned by Outburst Arts and first shared as research-in development in the 2023 festival, It Was Paradise, Unfortunately combines autobiographical performance, live scenography, and action figures. Brilliantly developed as a full stage production by Dublin’s The Collective, this daring and surprisingly moving work goes beyond representation to situate queer ideas as key to liberation for all.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  Stunningly clever  The Irish Times

• Written by  Raphaël Amahl Khouri
• Performed by  Raphaël Amahl Khouri & Myrto Stampoulou
• Directed by  Aisling Ormonde & Jocelyn Clarke
• Stage & Costume Design by  Myrto Stampoulou
• Produced by  Aisling Ormonde

Age suitability: 16+

Duration: 60 mins