It’s A Wonderful Life
Adapted by Mary Elliott Nelson. Directed by Claire O’Reilly.
- Dates
- 21 November to 10 January Previews from 17 November
- Show Times
- Matinee performances: 1:00pm Evening performances: 6:30pm Selected matinee performances: 11:00am Please check the booking calendar for available dates and performance times, as schedules vary throughout the run.
- Duration
- Approx. 2hr (Incl. interval)
- Audience Advisory
- This production contains loud noise, bright lights and haze. Content advisory: Contains themes of suicide. Age recommendation: 9+
‘Never thinks about himself, God. That’s why he’s in trouble. He needs a Guardian Angel’
This Christmas, the Gate Theatre invites audiences to step into the world of Bedford Falls with a stage production of the timeless classic, It’s a Wonderful Life.
Adapted by Mary Elliott Nelson and directed by Claire O’Reilly, this new version brings the beloved story of George Bailey to life with a fresh, theatrical spirit.
The play follows the life of George Bailey, a man with big dreams of travelling the world and building skyscrapers, who instead finds himself rooted in his hometown by duty and heart. On a fateful, snowy Christmas Eve, facing financial ruin and despair, George contemplates the unthinkable. It is then that he meets Clarence Oddbody, an “Angel Second Class” who has been waiting over two hundred years to earn her wings.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a story of hope, redemption, and the reminder that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.
Credits
Cast
Creatives
Mary Elliott Nelson is a Londoner who trained at the New College of Speech and Drama.
She has written original scripts and adaptations for companies including Eastern Angles, New Perspectives, Nottingham Playhouse, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company, Royal Touring Northampton, Theatre Factory and the Island Players.
She wrote and directed Murder Live! as part of the Tabs Thriller Season at Theatre Royal Nottingham. Her adaptation of The Railway Children was produced at Nottingham Playhouse and London’s Peacock Theatre.
Other plays include Don Quixote De La Mancha, Hood, Arthur the Sword and the Legend and, for Farnham Maltings, Miracle on 34th Street.
It’s a Wonderful Life was premiered by New Perspectives and has been produced by Farnham Maltings, East Riding Theatre and Reading Rep.
Claire is an award-winning Irish theatre director. She has presented work across Ireland, the UK, Germany, France, Luxembourg, New York, China and Australia. Recent projects include: Death of a Salesman (Staatstheater Mainz, 2026), A Christmas Carol (Gate Theatre, Dublin 2025), Bán by Carys D Coburn (Peacock Theatre Dublin, Dublin Theatre Festival), Emma by Kate Hamill (Abbey Theatre 2025), Hothouse (Malaprop, National tour 2025, winner of Best Production at Dublin Fringe Awards, New York Times Critic’s Pick), Talking About the Fire created with Chris Thorpe (Royal Court Theatre 2023 & European tour 2025), Accents by Emmet Kirwan (National tour 2025), & This Solution by Shaun Dunne (Dublin Theatre Festival 2023). She has worked as an Associate Director on the West End and off-Broadway, including A Streetcar Named Desire (dir. Rebecca Frecknall, BAM 2025) and Uncle Vanya (dir. Ian Rickson, Sonia Friedman Productions 2020).
Claire is a former Resident Director at the Abbey Theatre (2022-2023). She has a Master’s in Drama Directing from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (2019) and is a graduate of Film and Theatre at Trinity College Dublin (2015). She was featured on the Sunday Times Young Power List 2025 – 25 most influential under-35s in Ireland. She joined the Board of Directors for Project Arts Centre in 2026.
Booking information
- Tickets
From €16.50
⚠️ Low ticket warning!
SPECIAL FAMILY OFFER:
Get 4 tickets for €100*
*Plus €1.50 Building Upkeep Levy per ticketAVAILABLE ON SELECT DATES ONLY:
25 – 29 November, 5 – 10 JanuaryOFFER AVAILABLE THROUGH BOX OFFICE ONLY
boxoffice@gate-theatre.ie | +353 1 874 4045
Tickets are limited and subject to availability. T&Cs apply.-
Building Upkeep Levy
Price includes €1.50 Building Upkeep Levy:
As a registered charity, your support of the Gate Theatre is vitally important. All tickets purchased for Gate Theatre productions now include a €1.50 Building Upkeep Levy to help us maintain, enhance and invest in our historic landmark building. It helps us provide a world-class theatrical experience for our audiences, artists, and local communities, while also safeguarding it for future generations. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing and invaluable support of the Gate Theatre and its work.
- Accessibility
To ensure you have the best possible experience at the Gate Theatre, please notify our box office team at boxoffice@gate-theatre.ie of any special access requirements you may have at your earliest convenience.
Auracast™ is our Bluetooth LE Audio technology that allows patrons with hearing aids to wirelessly stream audio from our venue to their compatible hearing aids. To learn more about the Auracast please contact our Box Office directly on +353 1 874 4045 or boxoffice@gate-theatre.ie.
- Group Offer (6+)
10% discount for group bookings of 6+.
T&Cs apply. Not redeemable in conjunction with any other offer. Rate applicable for groups of 6 or more.
- Senior Offer
Seniors can avail of discounted tickets to see any show here at the Gate Theatre. These tickets can be purchased directly from the Box Office (by phone or email) on the day before you intend to attend the show. Tickets €21.50 (incl. Building Upkeep Levy)
Rehearsals
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