Contemporary Irish Documentary Theatre is the first anthology of Irish documentary drama. It features five challenging plays by Irish writers, and one by an international author, interrogating and commenting on crucial events of Irish history and of the diaspora, with introductory essays by established academics. Together these plays represent the most innovative development in contemporary Irish theatre and illuminate the social and political realities of contemporary Ireland.
The first two plays, of 2010 and 2013, deal with scandals of clerical and institutional abuse, and use as source material the Ryan Report of 2009, and the documents from the 2008 Irish Bank Guarantee. The next two, of 2014 and 2013, concern interpretations of the most iconic moment of Irish history: the Easter Rising. The first of these is based on published statements of participants in the event and the second on the lived experiences of those in the contemporary Republic whose founding ideals have not been realized . The last two plays, of 2015 and 2016, widen the view to the history of the Irish in the diaspora: one retelling the history of emigration to England based on published research material; and the other tracing Roger Casement's experiences in the Amazon and his subsequent participation in the Easter Rising using extracts from his diaries and other writings.
The plays included and discussed are:
No Escape by Mary Raftery
Guaranteed by Colin Murphy
Of This Brave Time by Jimmy Murphy
History by Grace Dyas
My English Tongue, My Irish Heart by Martin Lynch
The Two Deaths of Roger Casement by Domingos Nunez
Bastos, Beatriz Kopschitz: - "Beatriz Kopschitz Bastos is a faculty member in the Post-graduate Programme in English at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and production director of the Brazilian theatre company, Cia Ludens. She is co-editor of Ilha do Desterro 58 - Contemporary Irish Theatre (2010) and Ilha do Desterro 73.2 - Irish Theatrical Diaspora (forthcoming 2020), and organizer of Coleção Brian Friel (Hedra, 2013) and Coleção Tom Murphy (Iluminuras, forthcoming 2019)."
Murphy, Colin: - Colin Murphy writes plays about politics, and journalism. He is the author of a series of plays on Irish political history: Haughey/Gregory, on the 1982 "Gregory Deal", Inside the GPO, on the Easter Rising, Guaranteed!, on the bank guarantee of 2008, and Bailed Out!, on the subsequent crisis and Troika "bailout" of 2010, all produced by Fishamble. He adapted the latter two for screen, as The Guarantee and The Bailout (both produced by John Kelleher Media). He adapted the Charlie Bird book A Day in May for the stage. His verbatim dramas, Jack Duggan's War and Judging Shaw (based on Fintan O'Toole's book of the same name) have been staged by ANU Productions. His short film Leave to Remain was made for RTÉ Storyland (produced by Treasure Entertainment). He writes a weekly column for the Sunday Business Post.
Murphy, Jimmy: - Jimmy Murphy's plays for the Abbey Theatre include Brothers ofthe Brush, 1993 (winner of the Dublin Festival Best newplay award.) A Picture of Paradise 1997, and The MuesliBelt, 2000 Other works include Aceldama, 1998, The Kings of the Kilburn High Road, 2000 (2001 TricycleTheatre, London) The CastlecomerJukebox, (2004)for Red Kettle and What's left of the Flag, 2010 Theatre Upstairs@ The Plough, (nominated for Best New Play, 2010 Irish Theatre awards.) In 2008an Irish language feature film version of The Kings of the Kilburn High Road;Kings, was Ireland's official entry into theBest foreign language Oscars category and a subsequent postage stamp was issuedin its honour. He is former writer in residence at NUI, Maynooth, a member ofthe Abbey Theatre's Advisory Council and a recipient of three Bursaries inliterature from the Arts Council/An ChomhairleEalaíon. In 2004 he was elected amember of Aosdána, the affiliation of Irish artists. In September 2011 Focus Theatre will premierehis new play The Hen NightEpiphany.
Raftery, Mary: - Mary Raftery is an award-winning Senior Producer/Director with RTE television. She is a former Woman Journalist of the Year, and has won several national and international awards. States of Fear received the 1999 Justice Media Award and was shortlisted in the top ten European documentaries in the prestigious 1999 Prix Europa. She lives in Dublin.
Richards, Shaun: - Shaun Richards is Emeritus Professor of Irish Studies at Staffordshire University, UK. Professional Research Fellow at St Mary's University College, London, UK. He is editor of The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century Irish Drama (2004) and co-author with Chris Morash of Mapping Ireland: Theories of Space and Place (2013).
