Bitter Like a Lemon is a new writing company giving a platform to working-class voices of Dublin consisting of Amilia Keating, Evie McGuinness and Lee Coffey.
Their shows include the critically ‘Leper + Chip’ which toured Ireland and internationally and ‘From All Sides’, which premiered in Dublin Fringe Festival, co-produced with Axis Ballymun. The critically acclaimed ‘Murder of Crows’ which toured Ireland. ‘In Our Veins’, commissioned by Dublin Port Company to as a part of their Port Perspectives initiative which premiered at The Abbey Theatre. ‘G.O.D (Good. Orderly. Direction.)’ which premiered to critical acclaim as a part of Dublin Theatre Festival 2022. Other shows include ‘A Boy called Nedd’, ‘Peruvian Voodoo’, ‘Slice the Thief’.
Bitter Like A Lemon are currently focusing on the development of three new pieces during their residency in The Civic.
Amilia Keating
Amilia is a Dublin based producer, director and an actor. Having graduated in 2013 from The Gaiety School of Acting, Amilia set up Bitter Like A Lemon with Lee Coffey and Conall Keating under the support and guidance of Theatre Upstairs. Amilia has produced Leper+Chip by Lee Coffey on its National and UK tour (Broadway Baby nominated and NYTA award winner 2015) Murder of Crows by Lee Coffey on its National Tour, Stewart Parker nominated 2016 A Boy Called Nedd by Emily Gilmor Murphy, From All Sides by Lee Coffey as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2017 and most recently G.O.D (Good.Orderly.Direction.) as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2022. Bitter Like A Lemon won the Business to Arts Judges Special Recognition Award in 2019 for their production of In Our Veins by Lee Coffey in association with Dublin Port and Co-Produced by The Abbey Theatre. Amilia has worked on stage and screen over the last 10 years from The Abbey Theatre to The Gate Theatre but she is most know for her portrayal of Katy O Brien in Fair City. Having growing up in Tymon North, Tallaght before moving to Greenhills as a teen, Amilia is very excited to finally work in her first local theatre.
Evie Mc Guinness
Evie Mc Guinness is a Dublin based stage management for theatre, dance and corporate events. She graduated from The Lir Academy’s Stage Management and Technical Theatre course in 2016. Her previous work includes stage managing for Dan Colley, Brokentalkers, Rough Magic, Malaprop and Bitter Like a Lemon. She has toured both nationally and internationally.
Lee Coffey
Lee is a writer and director based in Dublin. He is a founding member and Creative Director of contemporary theatre company Bitter Like A Lemon. He was one of six writers selected for the 2018 New Playwrights Programme to mark the Lyric Theatre Belfast’s 50th year celebrations. He was a participant in Six In The Attic in 2018 – 2019, an Irish Theatre Institute initiative for emerging talent. He was also a participant in the prestigious Rough Magic SEEDS programme in 2016 – 2017.
Lee’s plays include the critically acclaimed G.O.D. (Dublin Theatre Festival) In Our Veins (Abbey Theatre) Leper + Chip (Theatre Upstairs, Project Arts Centre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Electric Picnic, Lyric Theatre, Belfast and axis:Ballymun, Cork. It was also produced by Inis Nua Theatre Company in Philadelphia, USA. Peruvian Voodoo (Theatre Upstairs), Slice, the Thief (Smock Alley, axis:Ballymun), Murder of Crows (Theatre Upstairs, Project Arts Centre, Garter Lane, Lyric Theatre Belfast), From All Sides (Dublin Fringe Festival), The radio play The Matron as a part of Dead Air (Bram Stoker Festival) In 2020 Leper + Chip and Slice, The Thief were adapted for film as a part of Dublin Port Company’s The Pumphouse Presents: alongside axis:Ballymun, Anu and Fishamble. Recently he has directed Oh, Brother by Callum Maxwell (Dublin Fringe Festival, Little Gem Award Nominee) and Mosaic by Louis Deslis (Dublin Fringe Festival).
