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Theatre has played an important role in post-conflict northern Ireland, where it has been used by artists, communities, and organisations as a tool for political advocacy.
This book provides an up-to-date assessment of the state of theatre in northern Ireland since the end of the conflict, across a period of complete transformation, from entrenched civil conflict to relative peace and prosperity. With a focus on applied theatre and works that use theatre as advocacy, the book investigates the ways the main communities in the region have used theatre to promote their agendas, combat prejudice, and deal with legacy issues of the conflict. It also explores the emergence of new theatres that reflect social and demographic changes in the post-conflict period, including theatre with migrants and minorities, LGBTQ and Irish language theatre. In doing so, it examines the crucial role that theatre (and by extension, arts) can play in processes of reconciliation.
The book will prove valuable to students and academics in the fields of applied theatre, conflict studies, and arts for reconciliation. It will appeal also to the general reader with an interest in northern Irish politics and culture.
Mac Cathmhaoill brings a salient overview to the existing scholarship regarding Northern Irish theatre that will certainly serve as a touchstone for current and future discourse on the topic.
— Laura Rodríguez-Davis
Dónall Mac Cathmhaoill is Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Open University. He has worked as a writer, director, designer, and producer in theatre for almost thirty years, including collaborations with many of the leading northern Irish companies. He was a director at the main independent producer, Tinderbox Theatre Company, and served on the boards of both Aisling Ghéar and Sole Purpose theatre companies. Previously he was a producer and Head of Education at Soho Theatre in London.
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
Prologue
Notes on terminologies
A brief history of northern Irish theatre
A note on sources
Part I: Post-Conflict Theatre – Winning the Peace
1. A society in sea change
2. Theatre of resistance: nationalist and republican communities
3. A movement for unity: theatre for social change
4. ‘Making our voices heard’: advocacy theatre in the PUL community
5. Mediating the legacy: testimonial theatre and the documentary
Part II: New Communities: New Identities
6. The changing faces of northern Ireland: migration and ethnicity
7. Queering northern Irish theatre: performance and LGBTQ+ rights
8. ‘Actors for any play’: the emergence of Irish language theatre
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index