OVERVIEW

• Description

  The Irish Theatre Company was founded in the Summer of 1914 by Edward Martyn, Thomas MacDonagh and Joseph Plunkett. They were formed to oppose the Abbey, as Martyn had become increasingly estranged from the Yeats and Lady Gregory. They produced three types of of plays: plays in Irish, plays by Irish writer in English which were NOT peasant drama, and plays translated into English from foreign writers. They performed their work at The Hardwicke Hall on Hardwicke Street, which was owned by Joseph Plunkett family. After the deaths of Plunkett and MacDonagh in 1916, the theatre staged very sporadically until its closure in 1920.
  
  The Irish Theatre staged a revival of The Heather Field by Martyn in November 1916, which was one of the first productions of the Irish Literary Theatre in 1899. Michael MacLiammoir was briefly involved in the theatre, and it has been suggested that the company's interest in international work influenced Maclaimmoir's foundation of The Gate Theatre eight years later.

New Irish Plays Produced By Irish Theatre Company 1914-1920