The Politics of Irish Drama: Plays in Context from Boucicault to Friel (Cambridge Studies in Modern Theatre)

In this book Nicholas Grene explores political contexts for some of the outstanding Irish plays from the nineteenth century to the contemporary period. The politics of Irish drama have previously been considered primarily the politics of national self-expression. Here it is argued that Irish plays, in their self-conscious representation of the otherness of Ireland, are outwardly directed towards audiences both at home and abroad. The political dynamics of such relations between plays and audiences is the book's multiple subject: the stage interpretation of Ireland from The Shaughraun to Translations; the contentious stage images of Yeats, Gregory and Synge; reactions to revolution from O'Casey to Behan; the post-colonial worlds of Purgatory and All that Fall; the imagined Irelands of Friel and Murphy, McGuinness and Barry. With its fundamental reconception of the politics of Irish drama, this book represents an alternative view of the phenomenon of Irish drama itself. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 6 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Chronology......Page 13 Abbreviations......Page 18 Introduction......Page 21 1 Stage interpreters......Page 25 The Shaughraun......Page 27 John Bull's Other Island......Page 38 Translations......Page 54 The politics of staging Ireland......Page 68 2 Strangers in the house......Page 71 The Land of Heart's Desire......Page 73 The Travelling Man......Page 78 Kathleen ni Houlihan......Page 83 The Shadow of the Glen......Page 92 3 Shifts in perspective......Page 97 Shifts......Page 100 Crimes......Page 106 Setting......Page 117 Carnival and the sacred......Page 123 4 Class and space in O'Casey......Page 130 Class constructions......Page 133 A room of one's own: The Shadow of a Gunman......Page 139 Women and family values: Juno and the Paycock......Page 145 City and nation......Page 152 5 Reactions to revolution......Page 156 Politics: The Plough and the Stars......Page 159 Style: The Old Lady Says 'No!'......Page 170 Audience: The Hostage......Page 177 Unfinished business......Page 186 6 Living on......Page 190 Purgatory: the tragedy of survival......Page 193 All that Fall: a lingering dissolution......Page 199 Affinities......Page 204 7 Versions of pastoral......Page 214 Staying or going: A Crucial Week; Philadelphia......Page 219 A summer birdcage: On the Outside/On the Inside, Lovers......Page 226 Pastoral and anti-pastoral......Page 231 8 Murphy's Ireland......Page 239 Retelling the story......Page 241 Returning to the cottage kitchen......Page 247 Refashioning the past......Page 255 9 Imagining the other......Page 262 Observe the Sons of Ulster......Page 266 The Steward of Christendom......Page 271 The politics of the other......Page 276 Conclusion: a world elsewhere......Page 281 1 STAGE INTERPRETERS......Page 289 2 STRANGERS IN THE HOUSE......Page 293 3 SHIFTS IN PERSPECTIVE......Page 296 4 CLASS AND SPACE IN O'CASEY......Page 298 5 REACTIONS TO REVOLUTION......Page 300 6 LIVING ON......Page 303 7 VERSIONS OF PASTORAL......Page 305 8 MURPHY'S IRELAND......Page 306 9 IMAGINING THE OTHER......Page 308 CONCLUSION: A WORLD ELSEWHERE......Page 309 Bibliography......Page 310 Index......Page 321 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 6 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgements 12 Chronology 13 Abbreviations 18 Introduction 21 1 Stage interpreters 25 The Shaughraun 27 John Bull's Other Island 38 Translations 54 The politics of staging Ireland 68 2 Strangers in the house 71 The Land of Heart's Desire 73 The Travelling Man 78 Kathleen ni Houlihan 83 The Shadow of the Glen 92 3 Shifts in perspective 97 Shifts 100 Crimes 106 Setting 117 Carnival and the sacred 123 4 Class and space in O'Casey 130 Class constructions 133 A room of one's own: The Shadow of a Gunman 139 Women and family values: Juno and the Paycock 145 City and nation 152 5 Reactions to revolution 156 Politics: The Plough and the Stars 159 Style: The Old Lady Says 'No!' 170 Audience: The Hostage 177 Unfinished business 186 6 Living on 190 Purgatory: the tragedy of survival 193 All that Fall: a lingering dissolution 199 Affinities 204 7 Versions of pastoral 214 Staying or going: A Crucial Week; Philadelphia 219 A summer birdcage: On the Outside/On the Inside, Lovers 226 Pastoral and anti-pastoral 231 8 Murphy's Ireland 239 Retelling the story 241 Returning to the cottage kitchen 247 Refashioning the past 255 9 Imagining the other 262 Observe the Sons of Ulster 266 The Steward of Christendom 271 The politics of the other 276 Conclusion: a world elsewhere 281 Notes 289 INTRODUCTION 289 1 STAGE INTERPRETERS 289 2 STRANGERS IN THE HOUSE 293 3 SHIFTS IN PERSPECTIVE 296 4 CLASS AND SPACE IN O'CASEY 298 5 REACTIONS TO REVOLUTION 300 6 LIVING ON 303 7 VERSIONS OF PASTORAL 305 8 MURPHY'S IRELAND 306 9 IMAGINING THE OTHER 308 CONCLUSION: A WORLD ELSEWHERE 309 Bibliography 310 Index 321 In this book Nicholas Grene explores political contexts for some of the outstanding Irish plays from the nineteenth century to the contemporary period. The politics of Irish drama have previously been considered primarily the politics of national self-expression. Here it is argued that Irish plays, in their self-conscious representation of the otherness of Ireland, are outwardly directed towards audiences both at home and abroad. The political dynamics of such relations between plays and audiences is the book's multiple subject: the stage interpretation of Ireland from The Shaughraun to Translations; the contentious stage images of Yeats, Gregory and Synge; reactions to revolution from O'Casey to Behan; the post-colonial worlds of Purgatory and All that Fall; the imagined Irelands of Friel and Murphy, McGuinness and Barry. With its fundamental reconception of the politics of Irish drama, this book represents a new view of the phenomenon of Irish drama itself.

The Politics of Irish Drama analyzes some twenty-five of the best-known Irish plays from those of Dion Boucicault to Sebastian Barry, including works by Shaw, Yeats, Lady Gregory and Beckett. The book looks at political contexts for these plays and, in arguing for the outward-directed nature of dramatic representation of Ireland, shows Irish drama to be an international as much as national phenomenon.

The Politics of Irish Drama analyses some twenty-five of the best-known Irish plays from Dion Boucicault to Sebastian Barry, including works of Shaw, Yeats, Lady Gregory and Beckett. The book looks at political contexts for these plays and shows Irish drama to be an international as much as national phenomenon Sebastian Barry -- Samuel Beckett -- Brendan Behan -- Dion Boucicault -- Brian Friel -- Lady Gregory -- Denis Johnston -- Frank Mcguinness -- Tom Murphy -- Sean O'casey -- Bernard Shaw -- J.m. Synge -- W.b. Yeats. Nicholas Grene. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 290-300) And Index. The author explores political contexts for some of the outstanding Irish plays from the 19th century to the contemporary period Authenticity and authority have been issues in Irish drama as far back as Boucicault, as far forward as Friel.