SeanchaÃ­

Fringe 2026

SeanchaÃ

When Fionn, a young writer, visits Siobhan, a retired Seanchaí (shawn-uh-key, Irish Oral Storyteller), to get some tips on how to tell a good story he gets more of a lesson than he bargained for. As the two trade tales of Irish heroes like Cú Chulainn and Fionn mac Cumhaill, they begin to explore the importance of stories in shaping what we remember, and in helping us come to terms with what we forget.

Written by Gavin Bradley, Seanchaí is an award-winning new Canadian play developed and produced by Rua Theatre. The production features Susan Sneath, one of the original founders of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, in her return to the Fringe stage after a 20-year retirement!

An earlier version of the work premiered at the 2024 Thousand Faces Festival’s New Mythic Works Series.

In 2025, Seanchaí was performed at the Stage Struck! Regional One-Act Festival in Edmonton and received the following awards:

Best Overall Production
Best New Work
Best Performance (Susan Sneath)

It was then performed at the Provincial One-Act Festival in Medicine Hat, where it received the following awards:

Best Overall Production
Best New Work

Creative Team
Gavin Bradley: Playwright & Producer
Amanda Samuelson: Producer & Dramaturg
Susan Sneath: Siobhan
Mark Guerrero: Fionn
Davis Shewchuk: Stage Manager
Rhiannon Eldridge: Sound Designer
Rebecca Cypher: Lighting Designer

Director to be announced soon!

Plain Language Description

Seanchaí is a new Canadian play about storytelling, memory, and Irish mythology.

Fionn, a young writer, visits Siobhan, a retired Irish storyteller (called a Seanchaí, pronounced “shawn-uh-key”), to learn how to tell better stories. As they share tales about Irish heroes like Cú Chulainn and Fionn mac Cumhaill, they begin to talk about memory, loss, and the role stories play in helping people understand their lives.