Orpheus in the Garden
Before the first song, the garden remembered everything....
Orpheus is a plant hunter who charms the trees with his song.
Eurydice, a mycologist whose voice carries deep into the earth.
Charon, a liminal figure, keeper of thresholds, compost, and change.
In this fresh reimagining of the Orpheus myth, music, ecology, and ancient storytelling entwine in the living landscape of Ireland’s National Botanic Gardens. Audiences follow Glasnevin’s garden-path of love and loss, curiosity and consequence, guided by musicians, children’s choirs and some unexpected creatures.
From sunlit lawns to shadowed bowers, leafy backdrops to underworld crossings, and fleeting images cast across the garden, they encounter a world where fungi speak, decay becomes renewal, and the myth grows anew.
Let the music tug your heart strings while mythic threads awaken what lies even deeper.
With humour, tenderness, and wonder, Orpheus in the Garden invites us to ask what lies beneath … and how love, like compost, can nourish more than we know.
About the project
The project brings together children from two primary schools in Finglas and Ballymun, Dublin to collaborate with professional artists and musicians to explore the biodiversity crisis. Led by renowned composer Dee Isaacs, the project will engage students in a series of educational and creative workshops, culminating in an original theatrical music show that blends art and science.
It will conclude with a series of magical performances open to the public, featuring the students performing alongside a cast of professional singers, actors and musicians in the stunning surroundings of Ireland’s National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin in May 2026.
Composer and Musical Director Dee Isaacs
Libretto by Elspeth Murray
Directed by James Riordan
Cast
Orpheus: Andrew Gavin (tenor)
Eurydice: Sarah Shine (soprano)
Charon: Gabriel Adewusi (actor)
Violin: Rachael Masterson
Violin: Jane Hackett
Cello: Caitríona Finnegan
Cello & piano: Dee Isaacs
Clarinet: Deirdre O’Leary
Trumpet: Niall O’Sullivan
The professional performers will be joined by a chorus of school children from two local primary schools, Mother of Divine Grace (Finglas) and Virgin Mary Boys (Ballymun).
It was an absolute joy to meet you and to play your stunning music. It was just perfect and I can’t stop singing so many of the great melodies. For me, it was definitely a highlight of my 20 plus years playing professionally.
Thank you so much for writing a trumpet part in your score and I really hope we get to hear/perform it again.
It’s was so special and I’m very proud to have played a small part in this beautiful production.
The positive impact and experience you gave the children will live with them forever.
Niall O Sullivan - Professional Musician (Trumpet)
Please send all of my congrats to the incredible team involved in this production. Without a doubt, it is one of the best experiences of creativity I have ever experienced. I loved how organic it was. The actors and musicians and wonderful kids flowed through the garden and we the audience gently followed them. It captured the fragility of nature but also celebrated its beauty. When the two lovers came out to sing on the glass house balcony, it honestly felt like a spiritual moment and I was moved to tears. It was soulful, beautiful and inclusive. I especially loved the beetles’ song and it’s an earworm (excuse the pun!) The dynamics between the adult and child actors was a joyous one and you could see the thrill on the kids’ faces as they went from scene to scene. I brought along a friend who had never experienced the botanic gardens as a backdrop to art in this way. She was blown away and the two of us couldn’t stop talking about it for days afterwards. In an increasingly disjointed and disconnected world, this piece of art felt so human and I really felt so privileged to have been there. I go to many plays, events, arts festivals, you name it but this was one of the most beautiful and unique shows I have ever seen. Thank you - my cultural highlight for many years!’
Audience Feedback
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Orpheus in the Garden is presented in partnership with the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin City Council, DCU and the Office of Public Works (OPW) with support from Movement for Good, Grant Thornton, PTSB and The Ireland Funds and The Heritage Council.