Site Navigation

Joanne Ryan is an award-winning theatre artist, playwright and performer based in Limerick.

Her critically acclaimed multimedia solo show Eggsistentialism premiered in Dublin Fringe in 2016, was part of Culture Ireland’s 2017 Edinburgh Showcase and has since toured extensively with runs in London, Liverpool, Cyprus, Malaysia and Australia. Eggsistentialism has won the Lustrum Award for Best Festival Moment at Edinburgh Fringe, The Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award, The Sydney Fringe Critics’ Pick Award and was nominated for Best Performance at Melbourne Fringe. In 2018 it won the Stroller’s Network Touring Award leading to a 10-venue national tour in November 2019.

In 2018 Joanne was one of the playwrights chosen to participate in Fishamble Theatre Company’s A Play for Ireland scheme. Her second play In Two Minds was developed across a two-year process supported by The Arts Council, Limerick Council, The Community Foundation of Ireland, Fishamble’s New Play Clinic and The JP Mc Manus Charitable Foundation. She is now working on a number of new theatre projects including a new autobiographical work and a large-scale, interdisciplinary promenade production.

In addition to her work as a writer and maker, Joanne has also performed with many companies in Ireland. In 2014 she was nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in What Happened Bridgie Cleary.

She was a Six in the Attic artist at Irish Theatre Institute in 2021/22 and is currently resident artist in Ormston House and Theatre Artist in Residence in Belltable | Limerick.  

She has been awarded Civic Honours for her international awards success and contribution to theatre and the arts in Limerick.