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Dublin Theatres Fueling Ireland's Love Affair with Drama

Jan 10, 2003

Surpassed perhaps only by its literary tradition, Ireland's theatrical tradition has been long-standing and superlative. The capital city abounds with great theatres, while almost every small town around the country can boast an amateur dramatic society well supported by locals.

Dating back to the very first theatre on Werburgh Street, Dublin in 1637, Ireland has had a love affair with drama that modern visitors can still witness.

The literary revival of the late 19th century fueled this love affair again and brought about the establishment of the Abbey Theatre, now Ireland's national theatre. Founded by W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and other influential writers and artists, the Abbey likes to present works by renowned greats like, Synge, O'Casey and of course, Yeats, while frequently promoting up and coming talent.

The Abbey is not your only choice, of course, for an enthralling night of dramatic entertainment. Dublin is home to many famous theatres that should have something to suit all tastes.

Equally as famous as the Abbey are the Olympia and Gaiety Theatres . Here you'll find an amazing variety of different performances from pantomimes to opera and from midnight comedy to a broad range of plays. Both theatres are housed in beautifully preserved playhouses that hold lots of history and tradition.

Much newer than most of the other theatres, the Tivoli has nonetheless established itself as a leading playhouse in the city. It usually plays host to the most popular of Irish works of drama but also opens its doors to late night rock concerts.

The Gate quickly established an adventurous reputation for itself after its opening in 1928 and has stuck with that ever since. Its productions of classic and modern plays are always popular.

Andrew's Lane Theatre is what you might call the experimental one in the group. It has retractable seating that allows it to host more unusual performances that perhaps the other theatres would shy away from. The contemporary is definitely this theatre's forte. Housed within the Abbey the Peacock aims to be less conservative than the Abbey and also likes to put on more contemporary plays.

Useful Links

http://www.dublintourist.com/Entertainme... - Theatres and Cinemas in Dublin http://216.26.163.174/theatre/ - Dublin Tourism, Theatres in Dublin

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4. Jan 23, 2003 1:13 PM
In response to message posted by pamela_saint:

Good point....but it might be interesting! ...

-- posted by Ireland

3. Jan 22, 2003 4:22 AM
In response to message posted by Ireland:

Hmm. If I went to the pub first, I'd probably be scrambling to join the actors on s ...

-- posted by pamela_saint

2. Jan 21, 2003 12:28 PM
In response to message posted by pamela_saint:

So don't choose - do them all together!

Hope the New Year's going well for ...

-- posted by Ireland

1. Jan 19, 2003 7:44 AM
Hi Irene,

I'm familiar with many of Ireland's playwrights; however, I'm not familiar with its theaters--good information to have. I bet a theater tour of Ireland is fantastic. Theater hopping, ...

-- posted by pamela_saint

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