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The Greening of London Theater |
| Section: THE ARTS / THEATER |
| Author: Claudia Woolgar |
| Publication:
The World & I Online |
| Issue Date: 7/1/1992 |
| Size: 2,233 Words, 13,002 Characters |
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Ireland and England have long been uneasy bedfellows. Each new IRA bombing on mainland Britain sends a perceptible shiver through the London Irish community. But the English remain fascinated by the Irish--by their culture and by their politics. And, ironically, it is this political tension that seems to swell the audiences and fuel the creativity of Irish theater in London. The Irish may not have the access they deserve to the main stages, but Irish theater in London is thriving on the fringe.
The Irish community in London ghettos itself--as do other minority groups--into specific areas of the capital. All things Irish are available--even Guinness on tap. But these areas offer one more aspect that eschews the traditional image of the Irishman--they have theaters buzzing with Irish plays performed by Irish actors.
The Bush and the Tricycle are the best-known Irish fringe theaters in London. The former offers a traditional London fringe performance space--a small theater above a busy pub. The latter is a theater in its own right. Neither limits itself exclusively to Irish theater, but the Bush has recently housed an Irish season, which featured a number of strong new plays by Irish playwrights commissioned especially for the festival, including the final part of Billy ...
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...diences are not yet ready to tackle demanding and powerful Irish theater on the main stages of London.
If so, it is their loss. There is a poetic beauty in the language of these plays that proves writers such as Billy Roche, Ron Hutchinson, and Sebastian Barry (whose London debut, White Woman Street, opened in May at the Bush) are true keepers of the James Joyce tradition of excellence.
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Publication Details
(The World & I Online) |
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The World & I Online is a
comprehensive academic resource that encompasses a broad range of
articles by scholars and experts in the areas of Global Studies,
Liberal Arts, Fine & Applied Arts, General Science, and Spanish.
Originally published monthly in print as The World & I, our site
includes the complete contents since 1986 and continues to publish
a new issue online each month. |
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