Our History
As a graduate of the New York School of Playback, Sinead Moloney founded the Dublin Playback Theatre Company in 1998 and directed until 2005. At this point AnnMarie Dunne, who also became a graduate of the New York School of Playback, began to co-direct with Sinead until 2007. Both remain supportive towards company development.
In 2008, Sheila O’Keeffe (Founding Member), Helen Blackhurst and Lisa Markham began to co-lead, until Sheila’s relocation in 2009. Lisa and Helen co-led the company for a year, and in 2010 Lisa took up leadership on her own. The new name, Full Circle, was chosen by the company in the Spring of 2012.
Lou van Laake began leading Full Circle in 2015, facilitating the company into becoming a cohesive new team, bringing new artistic ideas and perspectives.
When Covid entered the world, Lou engaged with the online worldwide Playback Community, and brought Full Circle into the Zoom World from March 2020 onwards. This extension of practice has seen Full Circle expand from a tight Dublin-based company into a broad Ireland-wide and even international membership.
Since Spring 2023, Full Circle is co-led once more: Marcin Pietruszka joined Lou at the helm of an expanding company that is bringing Playback Theatre all over Ireland through workshops and performances. The latest project they took on together is with Ukrainian/Irish Playback Company “New Hope” in Co. Clare, where, with the support of Clare County Council, they have been able to provide support to this new playful community.