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PLAYOGRAPHYIreland comprises two comprehensive online searchable databases: Irish Playography (all new professionally produced Irish plays written in English since the formation of the Abbey, Ireland’s National Theatre, in 1904) and Playography na Gaeilge (all new plays written and produced in the Irish language since 1901).
Each play listing contains a playwright biography, synopsis, cast size, creative and production team for the premiere production, date and location of the first performance and much more.
PLAYOGRAPHYIreland not only defines the Irish theatrical repertoire for the first time but also aims to revitalise that repertoire by reintroducing many lost scripts and providing a gateway for locating and clearing rights for a very large number of existing scripts. We are delighted to receive information from users where our own research has been unable to locate details on the holder of a play’s rights. As PLAYOGRAPHYIreland allows writers to attach downloadable versions of their unpublished plays to the database, it is also acts as an online script repository.
Irish Playography was launched in three phases: Phase I (1975 – 2003) following two and half years of extensive research; then Phase II (1950 – 2005) and finally Phase III (1904 – 1949) in July 2006. This database is updated on an on-going basis as each new Irish play written in English is premiered.
Playography na Gaeilge was also launched in phases: Phase I (1975 – 2009) in April 2010, and Phase II (1901 – 1974) in May 2011. This database is also updated on an ongoing basis.
PLAYOGRAPHYIreland’s two databases are complemented by analyses of their extensive contents. To date three Findings Reports are available for download via our Publications section (two of which are bi-lingual relating to Playography na Gaeilge).
Irish Playography contains a comprehensive listing for each new play written in English produced in Ireland by professional theatre companies, venues, festivals, commercial producers and once-off-producers from 1904 to the present. It includes adaptations, translations and new versions. The database also includes those plays produced by fringe (unsubsidised) companies and by semi-professional organisations, where the work is deemed to be of particular significance to the repertoire. The work of significant Irish playwrights whose work has been premiered abroad is also included.
For various reasons it was not deemed possible to include the work of amateur companies, community theatre, pageants, readings, semi-staged productions, pantomimes, plays commissioned but not produced, plays published but not produced, revues, cabaret, récitations, sketches, performance art, stand-up comedy and puppet shows.
Playography na Gaeilge contains a comprehensive listing for each new play written in Irish and produced in Ireland by professional theatre companies, venues, festivals, commercial producers and once–off producers from 1901 to the present. It includes adaptations, translations and new versions. The database also includes those plays produced by amateur companies and semi-professional organisations where the work is deemed to be of particular significance to the repertoire. This database does include pantomimes as they are deemed of particular significance to the Irish language repertoire.
For various reasons it was not deemed possible to include the work of community theatre, pageants, readings, semi-staged productions, plays commissioned but not produced, plays published but not produced, revues, cabaret, récitations, sketches, performance art, stand-up comedy and puppet shows.
All decisions relating to the research parameters were rigorously examined and agreed in consultation with the PLAYOGRAPHYIreland Advisory Panel.
While Irish Theatre Institute has taken every care in collating information for this website, it does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in either www.irishplayography.com or www.irishtheatreinstitute.ie