Muireann Ahern and Louis Lovett
Artistic Directors

Muireann Ahern / biography

Muireann Ahern is co-founder and Joint Artistic Director of Theatre Lovett and has 30 years’ experience working in theatre with a particular focus on theatre for all audiences.
For Theatre Lovett she has most recently directed The Maestro and the Mosquita (winner Best Production and Best overall Design Dublin Fringe Festival 2024); The Tin Soldier (co-production with Gate Theatre, winner Best Soundscape and nominated for best Movement, Irish Times Theatre Awards); Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel (co-production with Irish National Opera and The Abbey Theatre, winner of Best Opera production Irish Times Theatre Awards). She has directed This Way to Christmas at the National Concert Hall for the past 8 years. Previously, she was Theatre Programmer and Producer at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children and over a 7 year period, Muireann programmed the Family Season of the Dublin Theatre Festival and The Children’s Season of Dublin Dance Festival. Muireann has worked as an Education Director, Producer, Programmer and Lecturer. She has worked with The Abbey Theatre’s Outreach Department, TEAM Educational Theatre Company (Education Director for 7 years), The Department of Education and Skills and others. Muireann has been a lecturer in Drama at St Patrick’s teacher training college and is a regular guest speaker on theatre for young audiences at other third level colleges. Muireann was a committee member of Assitej Ireland (now TYAI ): a world network of theatre for children and young people. She was a member of the core working group on the published Artists~Schools Guidelines: ‘Towards Best Practice in Ireland’. She has been guest speaker at national and international conferences focusing on ‘quality’ in theatre for young audiences. Muireann also works as a freelance consultant on theatre for children and young people.
Other directing credits for Theatre Lovett include: FRNKNSTN (Abbey Theatre, Tour 2020); They Called Her Vivaldi (Irish Tour, Abbey Theatre, USA/Canada Tour 2019, nomination Irish Times Theatre Awards); The Patient Woman (Irish National Opera 20 Shots of Opera); The True Story of Hansel and Gretel (Dublin Theatre Festival); Mr. Foley, The Radio Operator (Irish Tour); A Feast of Bones (Dublin Theatre Festival, UK tour, On the Edge Festival for cutting edge work in TYA); The House that Jack Filled (Dublin Theatre Festival, Baboró, Irish Tour) and she has produced several productions including The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (in association with The Ark, USA, UK, Irish tours). She is a graduate of the Samuel Beckett Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies, Trinity College Dublin and also holds a HDip Education from TCD.

‘Unquestionably, Muireann has raised the standard for theatre for the young in this country.’ Marina Carr, Playwright

Louis Lovett / biography

Louis is co-founder and Joint Artistic Director of Theatre Lovett.
Theatre Lovett performance credits include: The Maestro and The Mosquita (Dublin Fringe Festival), The Tin Soldier (Gate Theatre); FRNKNSTN, They Called Her Vivaldi (Abbey, Peacock Theatre); The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, A Feast of Bones, The House that Jack Filled (Dublin Theatre Festival); Mr. Foley The Radio Operator; Festive Mr. Fox, This Way to Christmas (National Concert Hall) and The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly (The Ark/Theatre Lovett). From 1996 to 2010 Louis performed extensively at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children, where he appeared in The Croons, Pass the Parcel, The Dream Factory, Beware of Storybook Wolves, Rudolf the Red, A Picture of Me, Annabelle’s Star and much more. For the Ark he directed Christmas Island and No Messin’ with the Monkeys by Roddy Doyle. In 2010 he became the Ark’s first Artist in Residence. Other acting work includes: Dublin by Lamplight, The Seagull and Freefall (The Corn Exchange); Galileo, The Train, Improbable Frequency, (Rough Magic); Bedroom Farce (The Gate Theatre); The Making of ‘Tis Pity she’s a Whore (Siren Productions); B for Baby, Bookworms and She Stoops to Conquer (The Abbey Theatre); Slattery’s Sago Saga, The Butterfly Ranch, Seven Deadly Sins (Performance Corporation); Bumbógs and Bees (Team Educational Theatre Theatre); The White Headed Boy, God’s Gift, The Temple of Clown (Barabbas...the Company); Diamonds in the Soil (Macnas).
Writing credits: The Tin Soldier; They Called Her Vivaldi; The True Story of Hansel and Gretel; The Teddy Bears’ Picnic (Theatre Lovett); Eta Evergreen (Landmark production’s TinyPlays); The Patient Woman (Irish National Opera’s 20 Shots of Opera); A Picture of Me (The Ark). Composition: Louis has composed/co-composed for many shows including: The Tin Soldier (Gate Theatre) Winner of Best Soundscape, Irish Times Theatre Awards 2023; The Lost Days of Ollie Deasy (Macnas); They Called Her Vivaldi, The Teddy Bears’ Picnic (Theatre Lovett). Louis is a graduate of UCC where he studied Classics and Philosophy.
Film Credits include: Stella Days Dir: Thaddeus O’Sullivan, Newgrange Pictures, Shem the Penman Sings Again Dir: Pádraig Trehy, Pooleen Productions, Deadly Cuts Dir: Rachel Carey, Level 33 Entertainment
Television Credits include: Moone Boy Dir: Various, Sky, Killinaskully Dir: Various, RTÉ, Showbands Dir: Ian Fitzgibbon, RTÉ

 'Lovett is now inextricably associated with the development of contemporary children’s theatre in Ireland.' The Irish Examiner