The Moat Club
At the heart of Naas since 1954
The Moat Club is an amateur drama club, part of the fabric of Naas. Our home is the Moat Theatre.
We have a busy schedule of five productions a year and we compete on the amateur drama circuits for one-act and full-length plays. There are always opportunities for new members to get involved, both off-stage and on.
Now Showing/In Rehearsal
Short Plays for Longer Evenings
‘Dada’ by Frank Houlihan and ‘Here We Go’ by Gerard O’Shea
The Moat Club presents two one-act plays in what promises to be an entertaining evening of theatre, taking us from the 1990 World Cup in Italy to present-day Ireland.
Dada, by Frank Houlihan, directed by Mary Newman
In this dark comedy, sisters Nonie and Min have arranged to meet the local priest in order to unburden their souls. In the course of their conversation we learn some hair-raising facts about the lives they’ve led, all conveyed in hilarious, if deadpan, detail. Audiences who meet Nonie and Min will definitely remember them! Dada by Frank Houlihan was the winner of the DLI/ADCI annual playwriting competition in 2024.
Here We Go, written and directed by Gerard O’Shea
Ireland came alive during the summer of Italia ’90. For Des and his son Stephen, who followed the team on their journey, it was a time never to be forgotten — in more ways than one
Tickets: €18 (€16 concessions)
16th – 18th April, 8pm nightly
Emmett Marsh
June Play - TBD
Our June production is always a comedy, usually with a big cast, providing plenty of acting parts for members. Think Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward, or a fast-moving farce. Stay tuned for this year’s play.
Culture Night - Friday 18th September 2026
For one night a year doors are flung open all over the country to welcome everyone to a night of culture, in its many and varied forms. Whether it’s live music from our talented local performers or a theatrical performance with a difference, there will be something interesting happening on Culture Night in ‘the Moat’.
A (Brief) History!
The Moat Club was established in 1954 as a table tennis and drama club. In 1959, the Club purchased the recently vacated Christian Brothers school at the North Moat and converted the upper rooms into a hall for table tennis and the lower rooms into a 125-seat theatre known as the Moat Hall, opening in 1963. The building was transformed in the early 2000s with funding from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism and Naas Town Council, re-opening in 2003 as the Moat Theatre, an accessible, 200-seat theatre.
The Moat Theatre, while receiving a wide variety of productions, from comedy to dance, continues to be the home of the Moat Club.
Open for Members
Join the Moat Club at any time! If being on stage is not your thing, that is not a problem, because it takes a team to create a production. We need directors, production managers, technical crew (sound and lighting), backstage crew, set designers, costume makers, and more. No experience required!
Annual membership rates (September to September):
Student (aged 16-18): €20; Adult €40
To join or find out more, email moatsecretary@gmail.com.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.