Fail Better: Irish National Theatre: Recent Episodes
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‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’
-Samuel Beckett, Worstward Ho!
What is Irish theatre? Fail better explores the past, present, and future of Irish theatre through a series of interviews with experts and people passionate about the arts.
Written, presented, and edited by Sarah O’Sullivan
Music by Theo Foley
Special thanks to DCU, Pavilion Theatre, Ambrose & Lesley O’Sullivan, Maia Purdue, and Tim Houston
‘Fail again, and again, and again,’ the final episode in this series, explores hopes and ideas for the future of Irish theatre from the interviewees. It looks at some of the issues facing the sector, and hopes for how to change it.
Written, presented, and edited by Sarah O’Sullivan
Music by Theo Foley
Special thanks to DCU, the Pavilion Theatre, Ambrose & Lesley O’Sullivan, Maia Purdue, and Tim Houston.
Interviews included in this episode:
Aaron Monaghan
Colin Murphy
Julia Appleby
Ultan Pringle
Lisa Nally
Allie Whelan
Texts quoted / consulted:
Abbey 2017. Abbeytheatre.ie, 2017, www.abbeytheatre.ie/2017/two-pints
Demolder, Kate. “Tivoli Theatre/District 8 to Be Replaced by a Hotel Following Graffiti Preservation.” JOE.ie, 18 Jan. 2018, www.joe.ie/news/tivoli-theatredistrict-8-replaced-hotel-following-graffiti-preservation-613148
Hayes, Katy. “Gate Theatre Will Starve If Left to Survive on “Just Enough” Funding.” Independent.ie, 8 Jan. 2022, www.independent.ie/entertainment/theatre-arts/gate-theatre-will-starve-if-left-to-survive-on-just-enough-funding-41215175.html
Royal Court Theatre. “Peckham: The Soap Opera - Royal Court.” 2017, royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/peckham-the-soap-opera-2/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘Them’s the Breaks’ explores one of Irish theatre’s most explosive controversies in recent years: Waking the Feminists. When women were excluded from an important national theatre programme, many were inspired to speak out about sexism in the industry. This episode explores what happened then and what has happened since.
Written, presented, and edited by Sarah O’Sullivan
Music by Theo Foley
Special thanks to DCU, the Pavilion Theatre, Ambrose & Lesley O’Sullivan, Maia Purdue, and Tim Houston.
Interviews included in this episode:
Sarah Jane Scaife
Lisa Nally
Julia Appleby
Texts quoted / consulted:
Abbey Theatre. “Waking the Nation - 2016 at the Abbey Theatre.” YouTube, 28 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL6_Bh2nQd0
Irish Times. “Waking the Feminists Event Takes over the Abbey Theatre.” The Irish Times, 12 Nov. 2015, www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/waking-the-feminists-event-takes-over-the-abbey-theatre-1.2427195
Kirsty Blake Knox. “Abbey Hopes 1916 Programme Will Wake Nation.” Independent.ie, 29 Oct. 2015, www.independent.ie/entertainment/theatre-arts/abbey-hopes-1916-programme-will-wake-nation-34151255.html
Linehan, Hugh. “Which Irish Theatre Companies Have the Worst Record Regarding Women?” The Irish Times, 7 June 2017, www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/which-irish-theatre-companies-have-the-worst-record-regarding-women-1.3110422?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fculture%2Fstage%2Fwhich-irish-theatre-companies-have-the-worst-record-regarding-women-1.3110422
McCormack, Chris. ““Them’s the Breaks”: Gender Imbalance and Irish Theatre - Exeunt Magazine.” Exeunt Magazine, 2015, exeuntmagazine.com/features/thems-the-breaks-feminism-and-irish-theatre/
Mullally, Una. “Waking the Feminists: The Year Women Awoke and Dared to Dream.” The Irish Times, The Irish Times, 29 Oct. 2016, www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/the-centenary-conversations/waking-the-feminists-the-year-women-awoke-and-dared-to-dream-1.2835711
RTÉ Entertainment. “Abbey Theatre Prepares to Wake the Nation in 2016.” RTE.ie, RTÉ, 28 Oct. 2015, www.rte.ie/entertainment/2015/1028/737979-abbey-theatre-gets-set-to-wake-the-nation-in-2016/
Sihra, Melissa. Women in Irish Drama. London Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2007.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘National to Local’ is about the practical idea of our national theatre–how nationwide is its reach? And why should we be asking that question?
Written, presented, and edited by Sarah O’Sullivan
Music by Theo Foley
Special thanks to DCU, the Pavilion Theatre, Ambrose & Lesley O’Sullivan, Maia Purdue, and Tim Houston.
Interviews included in this episode:
Aaron Monaghan
Ultan Pringle
Texts quoted / consulted:
Druid. www.druid.ie
Falvey, Deirdre. “Abbey Theatre Uproar: 300 Actors and Directors Complain to Minister.” The Irish Times, 7 Jan. 2019. www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/abbey-theatre-uproar-300-actors-and-directors-complain-to-minister-1.3750135?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fculture%2Fstage%2Fabbey-theatre-uproar-300-actors-and-directors-complain-to-minister-1.3750135
Finn, Christina. “Abbey Theatre Told to Tour More, Hire Creatives and Diversify Productions to Make Money.” TheJournal.ie, TheJournal, 2014, www.thejournal.ie/abbey-theatre-review-arts-council-1546921-Jun2014/
Keating, Sara. “Looking for an Answer to the National Question.” The Irish Times, The Irish Times, 5 Mar. 2018, www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/looking-for-an-answer-to-the-national-question-1.3406350
O’Kelly, Katie. “Missing Audiences Ireland - Survey Results & Audience Development Toolkit.” Theatre Forum, 23 June 2022, theatreforum.ie/forum-notice/missing-audiences-survey-ireland/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘A Novel and Curious Idea’ focuses on the foundations of Ireland’s National theatre, examining where the art form began so we can look at where it has ended up.
Written, presented, and edited by Sarah O’Sullivan
Music by Theo Foley
Special thanks to DCU, the Pavilion Theatre, Ambrose & Lesley O’Sullivan, Maia Purdue, and Tim Houston.
Interviews included in this episode:
Professor Nicholas Grene
Lisa Nally
Colin Murphy
Allie Whelan
Texts quoted / consulted:
British Pathé. “New Abbey Theatre (1963).” YouTube, 13 Apr. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RtRWOqXLP0
Foster, Roy. “A Troubled House.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 4 Feb. 2004, www.theguardian.com/stage/2004/feb/04/theatre.wbyeats
Friel, Brian, and Seamus Deane. Brian Friel : Plays One. London ; Boston Mass., Faber And Faber, 1996.
Grene, Nicholas. The Politics of Irish Drama: Plays in Context from Boucicault to Friel. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Harrington, John P. (ed). Modern and Contemporary Irish Drama. 2nd ed., New York, Ny, Norton, 2009.
Keating, Sara. “Looking for an Answer to the National Question.” The Irish Times, 5 Mar. 2018. www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/looking-for-an-answer-to-the-national-question-1.3406350
The Old Vic. “The Playboy of the Western World, TRAILER.” YouTube, 7 Oct. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=w604efZ9dHc
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.