An autobiographical cabaret by an Irish trans playwright has won best production at this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival.
Pea Dinneen’s Raising Her Voice was a personal narrative about her life, which featured adopted 1990s pop songs to tell the story.
She described herself as a “transgender, bipolar alcoholic who can’t drive and who grew up posh and gender-confused”.
The show got a five star review from Irish Times reviewer Chris McCormack.
Comedian Alison Spittle jointly won the Best Performers Award for her show Big, about life after taking the weight-loss drug Ozempic, with Emily Terndrup for her role in Offspring, a retelling of the Frankenstein story.
Alison Spittle performed her show, BIG, at this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival. Photograph: Karla Gowlett
Meanwhile, the Best Ensemble Award went to Octopus Children by FeliSpeaks (Felicia Olusanya) about a “black Irish midlands culchie” who comes out as gay.
The Fishamble New Writing Award went to Hannah Power and Conor Murray for their play Don’t Tell Dad About Diana which tells the story of two drag artists who were scheduled to play Princess Diana on the night she died in 1997. The play also won the Bewley’s Cafe Theatre’s Little Gem Award.
The festival hosted 85 events with 492 performances in 356 venues with 56 world premieres, 67 Irish premieres and five Dublin premieres.
Festival director Bee Sparks said this year’s festival “marked an increased commitment to making sure the festival is open to all, with new accessibility schemes across the board”.
Dublin Fringe Festival Awards 2025Best ProductionWinner: Pea Dinneen: Raising Her Voice, Pea Dinneen, Once Off Productions. Read our review
Pea Dinneen – Raising Her Voice has won best production at this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival. Photograph: Olga Kuzmenko
Other shortlisted nominees.
ALIENS, Curious Industries, DumbworldAttention, Jules Head & Georgia BruceOctopus Children, FeliSpeaks, THISISPOPBABY OFFSPRING (A Modern Frankenstein), Emily TerndrupThat’s Sooo Povo, D’Girlos Theatre Best Design Award
Sound Design and Composition by Michael John McCarthy
Lighting Design by Matt Burke
Chief LX by Arden Tierney
Design Consulting by Laura Fajardo Castro
Creative Constructions by Nicole Clifford and Arran Mac Gabhann
Other shortlisted nominees:
+ 353 Presents: The Revenger’s Tragedy, +353 with Kevin Keogh. See our reviewComposition by Colin Fitzpatrick & Ire AdebariOrchestration by Lulu ManningAdditional Arrangement by Evan KennedyMovement Direction by: Tobi BalogunSet Design by Pai RathayaCostumer Design by Sinéad KellyLighting Design by Kevin MurphyATTENTION, Jules Head & Georgia BruceLighting Design by Suzie Cummins Composer & Sound Designer by Martha Knight ProductionStage Manager by Jack LeitchHoldings, Project Design – Clara McSweeney and Mel GalleyTESTO, Wet Mess Costume Design by Jordan Sherman / Lambdog1066Sound Design by Baby Lighting Design by Josh HarietteSet Design by Ruta Irbīte Best Performers AwardWinners: Alison Spittle in BIG (Read our review) and Emily Terndrup in OFFSPRING (A Modern Frankenstein)
Dublin Fringe Festival 2025: Offspring (A Modern Frankenstein). Photograph: Patricio Cassinoni
Other shortlisted nominees:
Aoife Cassidy, BramblesBláithín Mac Gabhann, ATTENTIONDarren Yorke, He Dies in the EndEla Cichoka, Variations for Two Disabled BodiesFeliSpeaks, Octopus Children Julia Grogan, You’re So SpecialNorah Lopez Holden, ATTENTIONTierra Porter, Octopus ChildrenBest Ensemble AwardWinner: Octopus Children: FELISPEAKS, Tishé Fatunbi, Tierra Porter, Favour Odusola, Tobi Omoteso, Tommy Salami and Soffiyah Adewoyisi. Read our review
Other shortlisted nominees:
Apocalypse How?: Donna Fella, Annie Queeries and Laylah BeattieATTENTION: Bláithín Mac Gabhann, Norah Lopez Holden, Martha Knight and Suzie CumminsOctopus Children: FeliSpeaks, Tishé Fatunbi, Tierra Porter, Favour Odusola, Tobi Omoteso, Tommy Salami and Soffiyah AdewoyinPea Dinneen: Raising Her Voice: Pea Dinneen, Paul Prior, Clare Martin, Tara Sagay, Louis YoungeWhat Are We Waiting For?: Mark, Ger, Gav, Brian, Paul & Eddie from the LBS Men’s Shed 
Dublin Fringe Festival 2025: Tishé Fatunbi (left) and FeliSpeaks in FeliSpeaks’ play Octopus Children. Photograph: Patricio Cassinoni Judges’ Choice Award
Winners:
Beyond the Stage: Holdings, Clara McSweeney & Mel GalleyBeyond Borders: ALIENS, Curious Industries, DumbworldSocially Engaged Arts: What Are We Waiting For? Colm Keegan and the LDS Men’s ShedBewley’s Cafe Theatre Little Gem AwardWinner: Don’t Tell Dad About Diana by Hannah Power & Conor Murray
Other shortlisted nominees:
Anonn | The Other Side by Cian Ó NáraighIN A BAD WAY by Isolde FentonLIBYA! by Farah ElleVariations for Two Disabled Bodies by Bobbi Byrne & Soso Ní CheallaighFishamble New Writing AwardWinner: Don’t Tell Dad About Diana by Hannah Power & Conor Murray
Other shortlisted nominees:
Brambles by Cara ChristieDon’t Tell Dad About Diana by Hannah Power & Conor MurrayHe Dies in the End by Liam McCarthyPea Dinneen: Raising her Voice by Pea DinneenFirst Fortnight AwardWinner: He Dies in the End by Liam McCarthy
Other shortlisted nominees:
Hungry Grass/Stray Sod by Wandering Stories TheatreIN A BAD WAY by Isolde FentonLIBYA! by Farah ElleYou Cry Weird by Tony CantwellSpirit of Wit: Moira Brady Averill AwardWinner: John Spillane for 7even
Other shortlisted nominees
Annie Queeries for Apocalypse How?John Spillane for 7evenSíomha Hennessy for Building CharacterThe cast of Clash At The Quays! II: LOKOMANIAWet Mess for TESTOThe George Fitzmaurice AwardWinner: Gift Horse Theatre for don’t copy me (copy)
Other shortlisted nominees:
AGENTS & JUICE for LAST GIG EVER!!Clara McSweeney & Mel Galley for HoldingsDafe Orugbo & Lisa Nally for Am I the A**hole? David McGovern for ShredderSolas Nua New Voices Award
Other shortlisted nominees:
ATTENTION by Georgia Bruce, co-created by Jules Head & Georgia BruceDon’t Tell Dad About Diana by Hannah Power & Conor MurrayOctopus Children by FeliSpeaksThat’s Sooo Povo by Sophie O’Toole & Trudy NolanThe Chalice by Brigid Leahy
Dublin Fringe Festival 2025: Vicky Allen and Patrick McBrearty in Good With Faces, by Oisín Kearney The CoisCéim Dance Theatre Movement AwardWinner: Variations for Two Disabled Bodies by Bobbi Byrne and Soso Ní Cheallaigh
Other shortlisted nominees:
Crawler by Jessie ThompsonItch by Christopher McAuleyLAST GIG EVER!! by Agents & JuiceOFFSPRING (A Modern Frankenstein) by Emily TerndrupMaking It Happen AwardWinner: Anika Kidd, Assistant Stage Manager for Octopus Children and Set Designer for don’t copy me (copy)
Other shortlisted nominees:
Aimee Crilly, Stage Manager for AmsterdamMar Parés Baraldés, Set Designer for Constriction and Am I the A**hole?Muirenn Lyons, Production Liaison and Producer for dublinitgirl_vs_dartlinediva: rap battle royaleOwen Clarke, Lighting Designer for Glass PlacesRuby Collins, Stage Manager for BramblesShauna-Anne Lynch, Lighting Technician for Chop and +353 Presents: The Revenger’s TragedyThe Theatre Lovett Always Ready AwardWinner: David McGovern for Shredder
Other shortlisted nominees:
Emily Lagacé for Am I the A**hole?Emily Bradley for Cult of AerobicsAlly Ryan for Nothing PersonalSinéad Quinlan for The Cultured CulchieNext Stage Wild Card AwardWinner: Trudy Nolan for That’s Sooo Povo by D’Girlos TheatreRadical Spirit AwardWinner: OFFSPRING (A Modern Frankenstein), Emily Terndrup