Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan to be adapted for stage

Katriona O'Sullivan's best-selling novel Poor will be adapted by Sonya Kelly

The 2023 memoir is one of those books that never really leaves you. It's striking, heartbreaking, and a book you won't be able to put down.

The book was an immense success when it was released in 2023 and remains one of the most-loved Irish memoirs.

The novel is so loved that Katriona's memoir is now being adapted for the stage.

The Gate Theatre and Belgrade Theatre Coventry will present the world premiere of Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan.

The stage version will be adapted by Sonya Kelly from O’Sullivan’s bestselling memoir.

It will be directed by Róisín McBrinn. Poor, a Gate Theatre commission, will run as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2025. 

'Poor charts Katriona O’Sullivan’s extraordinary journey as she emerges from a childhood marked by poverty, addiction, and homelessness.

'Moving to Dublin from her home in Birmingham, Poor follows O’Sullivan as she overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to earn a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and inspire a generation through her writing, teaching, and speaking.

'This unforgettable story is vividly and movingly portrayed through her close relationships with family and friends, and thrums with the music that has resonated through her life.' 

This Gate Theatre and Belgrade Theatre Coventry World Premiere will be a beacon of hope, resilience, and community, and will be a catalyst for discussion and change around the most critical social issues of our time.

Poor runs at the Gate Theatre from October 2nd to November 2nd.