“Moonlight” The Philip Lynott Enigma

AMA Music Agency & Fatdan Productions in association with Zero 3 Productions presents…
The World premiere of “Moonlight” The Philip Lynott Enigma
Live at Vicar Street Dublin, 3rd April 2025

It’s time to go beyond the headlines to tell one of the most important Irish music stories of the last 50 years. “Moonlight” is an expansive rock / theatre production that explores the early life of Philip Lynott who rose from the streets of Dublin to influence and inspire a generation of musicians around the world and is coming to Dublin’s Vicar Street next April 3rd. Tickets are €39.20 on sale now through Ticketmaster.

This is an honour production created by John Merrigan & Danielle Morgan and is a deeper portrait of a true poet who deserves a place alongside Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan in the pantheon of great Irish writers. Peter M. Smith under the direction of Jason Figgis plays Lynott, supported by a stellar cast and live band that rocks out the Thin Lizzy hits and all new original music. An unforgettable and moving experience in the city where it all started.

SYNOPSIS – “MOONLIGHT” – by JOHN Merrigan & Danielle Morgan

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, his punishment (and his reward) is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. ” Oscar Wilde, The Artist as Critic

Philip Lynott would have been 75 years old on August 20th, 2024 had he won his battle with fame and fortune. He was a true innovator as a songwriter and showman who paved the way for a whole generation of musicians and bands around the world. He was complex, driven to overcome huge challenges as a young man and he was truly a poet at heart. We believe he deserves to be recognised in the pantheon of great Dublin writers, alongside Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan and others.

“Moonlight” is a major new rock / theatre production about Lynott’s early years and the first phase of Thin Lizzy, covering the period in the late 1960’s and early ’70s when Dublin and London were dynamic melting pots of musical innovation. It’s compelling and expansive, not a juke-box piece, complete with the Thin Lizzy hits, and new original music performed by a live band on stage.

We explore his character in depth and authentically – it’s time to move beyond the headlines and cliches. This is an honour piece, telling the less well-known side of Lynott’s story – honestly and powerfully.

A stellar cast, director and creatives have been assembled, with Peter M. Smith in the lead role, and featuring a cameo performance by Eric Bell, co-founder of Thin Lizzy. In the research, we have had numerous meetings and discussions with Lynott’s contemporaries – people who were “in the room” at key moments of the story who have generously shared their time and encouragement.

Quote from Peter M. Smith:

“When offered the chance to play the role of Philip Lynott, I was truly honoured as an actor, as a proud Dubliner, and as a Thin Lizzy fanatic. Too much has been said about the rockstar lifestyle – it is a tired subject. This production seeks to honour Philip Lynott for what he was – a literary great and consummate artist.”