The centrepiece of our Bloomsday in Melbourne Festival in 2023, Exiles, is James Joyce's only play. 

Exiles (1919), performed by Bloomsday in Melbourne, explores questions key to James Joyce's masterpiece, Ulysses (1922): what is love? If love is constrained by conventional bonds of fidelity, is it love at all? This surprisingly modern take on polyamory and its dark side, jealousy, is a rare dramatic gem that must not be missed in its Victorian premiere at fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Recently remounted in the West End and Broadway, it was widely praised for its contemporary themes and exploration of love and sex. 

Directed by Carl Whiteside, Exiles features Doug Lyons (Richard Rowan), Lucy Payne (Bertha), Soren Jensen (Robert Hand), Mary-Agnes O’Loughlin (Beatrice Justice), Linda Cookson (Brigid), and Caithlin O’Loghlen (Archie). Described by Joyce as a 'cat and mouse in three acts', it is a darkly funny and gripping psychological drama.