Bewley's cafe on Grafton Street, Dublin, is due to open next Monday after a delayed launch which left a Finnish theatre company booked for the event without a venue.
The reopening of the premises, including the Bewley's Cafe Theatre, was scheduled to have taken place last Monday but it was postponed because construction and building work was not finished.
The Finnish group from the Rakastajat Theatre had come to Dublin especially to appear at the theatre for 2½ weeks in the world premiere of a new play by one of its foremost playwrights.
The trip took a year to plan but the actors found themselves without a theatre to perform the new comedy, Coming Up Roses by Juha Siltanen.
Director of Bewley's Cafe Theatre Michael James Ford said there were building problems as the work was slowed down because of a High Court case and five days were lost.
"We don't have a beef with the Campbell Bewley Group. It is a really big deal for the Finnish and it's a brand new play by one of Finland's foremost playwrights. It is the first time there has been a premiere of a Finnish play in Ireland. A Finnish documentary crew have been over filming it as well."
The group was looking for a place to perform and John Costigan of the Gaiety stepped in yesterday and made the dress circle bar available for preview performances tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, starting at 1.20pm.
Mr Ford said the world premiere of the play would take place in Bewley's next Monday at 1.10pm.
He said they had been assured the theatre would be ready by then but it could be a close-run thing. The play will run until Saturday, June 11th, starting at 1.10pm daily.
A spokeswoman for the Campbell Bewley Group said yesterday that the whole premises would open next Monday. It will keep the Bewley's name after a management deal between the Campbell Bewley Group and the owners of the Cafe Bar Deli restaurant chain.