For over 120 years, the Gaiety Theatre has been bringing the magic of theatre to the Irish people.

The Grand Old Lady of South Kings Street holds a special place in the hearts of many who remember the excitement and wonder of the Christmas Pantomime or the hilarity of Maureen Potter’s ‘Gaels of Laughter’.

Indeed, the Gaiety has been an intrinsic part of the city and is one of the few theatres remaining in the capital.

Built in 1871, it took twenty eight weeks to complete and cost the princely sum of £26,000. Owned by the Gunn family, it opened on the 27th of November with ‘She Stoops to Conquer’, and has continued to conquer late into the twentieth century, overcoming many obstacles.

The performances in the early years were mostly cross-channel shows as the Gaiety held some magnificent operas.

During World War One, it deviated from its theatrical setting and became a cinema, as the various acting and musical troupes were unable to travel. The film Birth Of A Nation ran for an unprecedented fourteen weeks, drawing huge crowds.

However, once the war ended, opera and theatre took pride of place once again. Innumerable companies performed at the Gaiety, but this ended abruptly with the advent of World War Two and subsequently Irish artists came into their own.

Indeed, it was the nurturing ground of great Irish stars such as Jimmy O’Dea, Maureen Potter, Hal Roche, Danny Cummins, Cecil Sheridan, Vernon Hayden, Rosaleen Linehan, Mickser Reid, Fred O’Donavan and our own Noel Purcell, names synonymous with this sumptuous house.

Louis Ellimann, the owner at the time, was determined that the Gaiety would retain its renowned position within Dublin entertainment circles.

George McFaul joined The Gaiety in 1947 and worked there for 48 years, becoming stage manager in the early 1980’s. The fact that he was working there was sheer chance, as he was asked to step in for someone who was ill.

It was a favour which progressed into a long, interesting career spanning nearly half a century. Ringsender, Tom Daly was stage manager at that time and he was so impressed with George that he offered him a position as a stage hand.

George remembers his years with The Grand Old Lady fondly: “Everyone referred to Louis Ellimann as Mr. Louis, and his first question every night always concerned the house”.

Formality was associated with The Gaiety. Uniforms were compulsory and the manager wore a dress suit for each performance. The Dress Circle which cost five shillings was black tie.

The Gaiety was unwittingly bought by Joe Murphy who was very reluctant to demolish the great theatre so he leased it to Brendan Smith for The Dublin Theatre Festival. Subsequently, Eammon Andrews and Fred O’Donovan made the theatre even more famous with an assortment of shows.
Maureen Potter’s ‘Gaels of Laughter’ made her a house-hold name. Performing for fourteen weeks at a time to full houses, she personified the Christmas Panto.

George McFaul, left, with Val Fitzpatrick, surrounded by posters of previous triumphs.