Theatre and Politics in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland

Theatre and Politics in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland is a comprehensive survey and in-depth analysis of political theatre in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, embedded within an accessible and carefully nuanced account of the region’s wider political history. It breaks new ground in its detailed analysis of theatre work relating to LGBTQI+ issues and the experience of racial minorities in Northern Ireland. Mac Cathmhaoill has the enviable knack of unpacking a series of major controversies with balance and concision, deftly contextualising them with an array of fresh insights. His book provides an important update to existing scholarship in this field.

David Grant, Theatre director and Senior Lecturer in Drama, Queen's University, Belfast

Dónall Mac Cathmhaoill’s book offers a brilliantly comprehensive account of the use of theatre to explore the new social, cultural and political landscape of post-conflict Northern Ireland. Truly impressive in its scope and insight, this book is an essential read for anyone with an interest in the role of theatre in post-conflict situations.

Dr Alison Jeffers, Senior Lecturer in Applied Theatre and Contemporary Performance, University of Manchester

Theatre and Politics in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland is a very timely publication, in fact it’s unique. No one, as far as I’m aware, has written such a comprehensive account of the community theatre movement in Northern Ireland. Importantly, recognising that community theatre is not a homogenous beast, this book explores the various strands that make up community theatre in this part of the world. It's also gratifying to see the history laid out in book form, cataloguing the extent of Community Theatre in Northern Ireland.

Martin Lynch, playwright and theatre director

Dónall Mac Cathmhaoill explores Northern Irish theatre as a politically engaged art form in a post-conflict society. In this rigorous yet accessible study he explores theatres of resistance and of unity; and the theatre’s response to rapid shifts in population as Northern Ireland becomes a site of immigration, and new communities make it their home. This invaluable study is enriched by the author’s professional background as an award-winning playwright and director with extensive experience in community and applied arts, and is a significant contribution to Irish theatre studies.

Dr Lisa Fitzpatrick. Senior Lecturer in Drama, Ulster University

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

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.