Tickets are now available for THE GOBLIN MARKET: CHICAGO MAY’S STORY, a two-act play written by Megan McGurk and Clara Higgins, running for three performances (12, 13, 14 June) in The Dot Theatre, Dublin.

Get your tickets at Eventbrite

May Duignan left County Longford and emigrated to the States in 1890, where she earned the moniker ‘Chicago May,’ by putting the ‘art’ in her work as a con artist. She proved to be a quick study with the women in The Levee, Chicago’s red-light district. As May later told it, Dickens’s Fagin had nothing on her crime school teachers in The Levee.

May’s underworld exploits were sensationalised by the press, including the daring robbery of the American Express office in Paris, which she conducted with her lover, the notorious bandit, Eddie Guerin. Near the end of a ten-year stretch in Aylesbury Prison, where May was sent for fleecing aristocrats, she met Countess Markievicz, interned there for her role in the Easter Rising. Through their conversations, May developed a political consciousness.

In an era when immigrant women fell through the cracks, disappeared, or toiled away in drudgery, Chicago May and her cronies forged another path.

**Refunds are available if requested up to noon on the day of the performance.

Complimentary wine will be served at the intervals.

Meet the cast:

Grace Keelin plays Chicago May.

Grace is a Dublin-based actor and writer from Maynooth, trained full time at the Gaiety School of Acting and Bow Street Academy, where she studied under Gerry Grennell. Her recent credits include Celtic Exodus at The Complex, directed by Mark Lambert, and two productions in last year’s Scene and Heard festival. She is currently co-writing and developing her short film Pram Duty, set to shoot in summer 2026. 

Dympna Heffernan plays Dora Donegan and Bridie.

Dympna is an actress and writer from Kilkenny. Dympna has performed her own work at numerous festivals around Ireland. Her theatre highlights include Edna O’Brien’s Joyce’s Women at The Abbey Theatre and Polonius in a touring production of Hamlet. On screen she has played roles in Ros na Rún on TG4 and Mayfair Witches on Netflix.

Adam O’Shea plays Rodgers, Bob Dalton, Alderman Brooks.

Adam O’ Shea is an Irish actor from Waterford. He won the Sheila O’Neill Award at London Studio Centre, an honour shared by Luke Evans and Elizabeth Hurley. His credits include Mutt in the award-winning Kinky Boots on Broadway, working with director Jerry Mitchell. He has also toured Europe as Max in Cabaret and Mike in Oklahoma!. Adam appeared on The Voice UK 2024 as part of the Celtic Harps, whereafter their debut charity Christmas single gained global radio play and coverage in HotPress magazine.

Sorcha Dawson plays Mary Ann, The Gun and Ruby.

Sorcha Dawson is a female actor from Cork with a strong background in sketch comedy and theatre. She has featured in filming for Enda Walsh’s SAFE HOUSE at the Abbey Theatre, Femme Fatale (voted DICFF’s Best Irish Sketch 2024) and Love Lane United by Jack Thornton due for general release this year. Sorcha’s first solo writing project ‘Sorry that happened to you’ debuted at Scene+Heard 2025 and is currently in development.

Culann McCarthy plays Claude Jenkins, Nick Tonetti, and a Cop.

Culann McCarthy is a Dublin-based actor and a graduate of Bow Street Academy for Screen Acting. With a background in comedy and improv, he has worked across film, voiceover, and stage, with upcoming theatre projects later this year. Goblin Market marks his latest return to the stage.

Oisin Nolan plays Dal Churchill and Harry Mott.

Oisín Nolan is an Irish Actor known for The Lightkeeper (Diff 2026) Cocaine Bear and Themselves Become The Sea (Galway Film Fleadh 2025). He is a graduate of Drama Centre London (UAL) where he received a scholarship.

Saorla Rodger plays Emily Skinner and the Matron.

Saorla is an actor, comedian and writer from Waterford, working in Dublin. She recently played the role of Carson in Roderick Ford’s new play Love At The End of Time in the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. Saorla has been featured in multiple short films, including I Belong which was funded by Screen Ireland and premiered at the 2025 Dublin International Film Festival. She is due to start filming her first feature film appearance in June of this year. As a comedian, Saorla has trained in improv with the Groundlings in Los Angeles and in clowning with Michael Barnfather in London.

Adam Bernard Hume plays Eddie Guerin and Daniel Carver.

Adam, a Kildare native, makes his stage debut in The Goblin Market: Chicago May’s Story. A recent graduate of the Bow Street part-time programme and the Diceplayers Shakespeare and Voice course, he is thrilled to be part of Sass Mouth Dames’ first theatre production.

Linda Ryan plays Countess Markievicz and Salvation Army Woman.

Linda Ryan is an actor working in Theatre, TV and Film. Previous credits include playing Nat in Rabbit Hole at Smock Alley, playing state pathologist in Cra, and playing Aunt Joan in feature film Squad Goals set for release this year.

Meet the production team:

Clara Higgins is a writer, producer, and artistic director of The Goblin Market.

Clara is a multidisciplinary creative from Galway. She is a writer, artist and zinemaker, as well as the sole director of small press Stray Cats Press. The Goblin Market is her first collaborative piece written for the stage. 

Thomas O’Mahony is the sound and lighting designer for The Goblin Market.

Thomas is a London-based multimedia producer.

Megan McGurk is a writer, producer, and director of The Goblin Market.

Megan has hosted Sass Mouth Dames Film Club in Dublin since 2017 and Sass Mouth Dames podcast since 2018. She has written and directed 11 podcast plays and a short film, Sex Pirates of 1931.