meet the artists:
Darren Yorke
Darren is a playmaker: an award-winning theatre-maker, multidisciplinary performer, and creative facilitator specialising in improvisation and participatory practice for young and old.
He is currently engaged in the Six in the Attic residency programme with the Irish Theatre Institute. He collaborates regularly with the Abbey, The Ark, Backstage Theatre, and Youth Theatre Ireland. He completed a three-year Arts Council YPCE Artist Residency at Marino Institute of Education (2022–2023) and has been appointed Artistic Director of the Aisling Children's Arts Festival in his native Longford, returning in 2017.
Hailing from Longford and living in Dublin, Darren holds a BA in Drama & Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin. He developed his practice at The Improv Centre with Vancouver Theatresports™, serving as Education & Outreach Coordinator (2014–2016), going on to train with Impro pioneer and TheatreSports™ creator Keith Johnstone. Darren founded Grand Stretch in 2017 to level the playing field, make things happen, and raise his Impro game with team players as Ireland's leading member of the International TheatreSports™ Institute.
In sports, a playmaker is both in play and making the plays. This dual role shapes Darren's work in the arts — leading with Impro, gamifying, prioritising play in both process and presentation (often at the same time), inviting participation, and facilitating collaboration across arts, education, and community settings.
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Collaborations with Tally Ho
Darren first collaborated with Tally Ho as a co-creator and performer on Liam McCarthy's Fergal in 2021.
As leading artist, Darren's commissioned work for young audiences includes Boss Rob (Dublin City Council Creative Hubs commission; Judges' Choice Award for innovation in children's theatre, Dublin Fringe, 2024), and Fancy Dan (Backstage Theatre commission, Arts Council YPCE Project Award), created through child-participative processes.
As collaborating Artists-in-Residence at Marino Institute of Education, Darren and Duffy developed their cross-art-form "play-making" practice that blends spontaneous theatre and visual art workshop elements, much of which has been programmed by The Ark. This led them to The Well space they designed for play-making with the MIE campus community.
In development with Tally Ho, Darren is currently leading Cocooning (supported by Backstage Theatre, Arts Council, Dublin City Council) and Joe Soap (early concept stages).
Darren's wider practice
Darren can be both a collaborator and a universe in himself — sometimes as leading artist, sometimes in collaboration, sometimes solo, and always excited to apply his process and practice to other people's projects.
He recently received a Best Performer nomination at Dublin Fringe Festival for Liam McCarthy's play, He Dies in the End (First Fortnight Award winner, 2025), which was invited to present at the Irish Arts Centre New York in 2026.
As Devising Director, Darren has created four performances with BeLonG To Youth Services at the Abbey Theatre (2022–present), led a community programme with the SAOL Project, and delivers training with the Abbey, bringing theatre skills to business contexts through improvisation-led workshops.
He has collaborated with Youth Theatre Ireland, training youth leaders and facilitators, and working directly with affiliated member groups nationwide. He also has wonderful relationships with Backstage Theatre and a number of schools.