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This year the Irish National Theatre ‘The Abbey Theatre’ celebrates the 100th anniversary of the staging of its first plays and since then the Abbey has been at the forefront of staging Irish and international theatrical productions. The Irish National Theatre was founded in 1903 by W. B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory and J. M. Synge. Yeats who was born on the 13th June 1865 at Sandymount Avenue remained a director of the theatre till his death in 1939. With patronage from Miss Annie Horniman, premises were purchased on Old Abbey Street and on December 27th 1904, the Abbey Theatre opened its doors for the first time. On the first night, the Abbey Players presented a double bill, ‘On Baile’s Strand’ by Yeats and ‘Spreading the News’ by Lady Gregory. Over the next few years the works of some of the greatest Irish playwrights Synge, Yeats, Shaw, O’Casey and others were premiered at the Abbey. The theatre became renowned for its acting tradition, and has had its share of controversies: in 1907 riots broke out over the use of the word ‘shift’ in Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’, and similar disturbances took place in 1926 during performances of O’Casey’s ‘The Plough and the Stars’ in which the national flag was seen sharing the stage with a pub and a prostitute. On other occasions it was accused of stagnation and mediocrity. In recent years it has presented exciting work by the new generation of Irish playwrights. Since 1925 the Abbey has incorporated a smaller theatre, the Peacock Theatre, suitable for experimental productions and intimate performances. The old Abbey Theatre was badly damaged by fire in 1951, and the company went into a fifteen-year residency in the Queen’s Theatre in Pearse Street while arrangements were made for a new purpose-built theatre to replace the old building. The new theatre, opened in 1966, was designed by the Irish architect Michael Scott and was funded by a Government grant. The exterior of Scott’s building, which was almost startlingly featureless, was altered in 1989 with the addition of a portico and balcony window designed by McCullough and Mulvin on the Marlborough Street front. The foyer and bar contain a wonderful collection of portraits of the celebrities associated with the theatre. The Abbey nowadays presents new plays by established writers such as Tom Murphy, Bernard Farrell and Brian Friel. It also features new productions of classic plays by writers such as Sean O’Casey, Oscar Wilde, and J. M. Synge, as well as works by established international writers. To celebrate the 100th anniversary the Abbey has devised a programme which is both diverse and extensive and is based around five identifiable themes: The Abbey and Europe; The Abbey and New Writing; Summer at the Abbey; The Abbey and Ireland and The Abbey on Tour. In addition to the programme on stage and in keeping with their philosophy of artistic and social inclusiveness they have developed a wide range of community, education and artist development programmes. For bookings or general information the theatre can be contacted at: Address: Abbey and Peacock Theatres 26 Lower Abbey Street Dublin 1 Phone: 01 887 2200 Fax: 01 872 9177 |
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