Dublin Theatre Festival @ The Complex | Dublin Jack

DUBLIN JACK: IN CONCERT

Created by Conor Mitchell, Presented by The Belfast Ensemble

Location: The Depot @ The Complex, 12 Mary's Abbey, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 XR70

When: Tues, 7 October @ 8pm

Run Time: 2hrs incl. intervals

Tickets: From €18, here

The Complex is proud to host the Dublin Theatre Festival this autumn. For a scandalous new queer opera, Conor Mitchell & The Belfast Ensemble delve into the seedy underbelly of Victorian London…

Dublin Jack - Jack Saul - is one of Ireland’s most infamous erotic exports.  He ran a roaring trade as a rent boy working in Victorian London - exploiting his sexual currency and cashing in on aristocratic desire. A self-described ‘professional Mary Ann’, Jack’s commitment to his work and exuberant lack of discretion eventually led to his arrest. 

His outrageous trial sparked a moral panic that swept across the British Empire - bringing about a new wave of homophobic attitudes and brutal anti-sodomy laws -  still reverberating around the world today. 

This darkly comic work holds space to unpack the messy powerplays of agency, class, and colonialism tied up in queer Anglo-Irish identity.

Join The Complex this October for an intimate, stripped-back, and energetic concert experience, as The Belfast Ensemble presents the pure, musical content of a dynamic new opera - live on stage for the very first time.

All performances include an introduction to the piece by composer/director Conor Mitchell. 

Content Warnings:

Contains strong, sexually explicit language and discussion of suicide.

For Ages 15+

PERFORMANCES

07 October 2025 - Dublin Theatre Festival - The Depot at The Complex

09 October 2025 - Southbank Centre - The Purcell Room

14 November 2025 - Outburst Queer Arts Festival - The Black Box