Theatre in Ireland
The history of Irish theatre begins with the Gaelic Irish tradition but flourishes at the start of the 17th century, making an astonishing contribution to drama in English over the next 400 years.
In the early days, theatrical productions in Ireland tended to serve the political purposes of the English administration, but as more theatres opened and the popular audience grew, a more diverse range of entertainments were staged in Dublin, getting performances and productions from the London scene. At the beginning of the 20th century, theatres and theatre companies started to stage Irish plays, supporting the development of indigenous writers, directors and performers that rapidly began to emerge. This allowed many of the most significant Irish dramatists to learn their trade and establish their reputations in Ireland rather than in Great Britain or the United States, supported mainly by The Abbey and The Gate theatres.
Our theatre tradition includes play writers such us Wilde, Samuel Beckett, G.B. Shaw, W.B. Yeats, Sheridan, John M. Synge, Goldsmith, Lady Gregory, George Moore, Sean O’Casey, Denis Johnston, Thomas Kilroy, Tom Murphy, Hugh Leonard, Frank McGuinness, John B. Keane.
From the 70’s on, a number of companies emerged to challenge the Abbey's and Gate’s dominance, introducing different styles and approaches. These included Focus Theatre, The Children's T Company, the Project Theatre Company, Red Kettle, Druid Theatre, TEAM and Field Day. Some of them nurtured a number of writers, actors, and directors who have been successful in London, Broadway and Hollywood, such as Joe O Byrne, Peter Sheridan, Brian Friel, Stephen Rea, Martin McDonagh, Garry Hynes, Conor McPherson, Marina Carr, Jimmy Murphy, Billy Roche and Gabriel Byrne.
In the late years a new wave of theatre companies has arrived, including Barabbas, Bedrock, Blue Raincoat, B*spoke, The Corn Exchange, Corcadorca, Fishamble, Loose Canon, Ouroborous and Pan Pan.
