Home | About | Contact Us

The Arts Council Playography Na Gaeilge

Plays

Printer Friendly

The Pagan

OVERVIEW

  • Playwright

    Lewis Purcell 

  • Setting

    Set in the sixth century within the enclosure of Crimall Ruadh, on the slope of the Cave Hill, Belfast.

  • Notes

    In accordance with the ULT early practice of not listing performers' names in programmes, no cast names are available. This play was produced for the first time on December 4, 1906 at the Examination Hall of Queen's University Belfast by the Ulster Literary Theatre. This was under the auspices and in aid of of the Queen's College Literary and Scientific Society, with the performance being reviewed by the local press. It was then subsequently played in general performance for the first time from December 17-19, 1906.

  • Synopsis

    In the sixth century enclosure of Crimall Ruadh, and the tribe of Ui Nial, Nuala, daughter of Crimall Ruadh, finds herself torn between old and new. Her instincts are with the old warrior ways, and she is wooed by a man who follows them, but she is also a professed Christian. A play focusing on the struggle between Christianity and Paganism at a time of transition between the two.

  • Play Type

    Plays General

    Number Of Acts

    One Act

  • Cast Size Male

    7

  • Cast Size Female

    1

  • Cast Notes

    8

Original Production

  • Date of First Production

    04 December 1906

  • Producer

    Produced by Ulster (Literary)Theatre

  • Original Venue

    Examination Hall

  • Irish Premiere Notes

    Appears to have been produced privately as part of a double-presentation with The Turn of the Road, for the first time on December 4, 1906 at the Examination Hall of Queen's University Belfast by the Ulster Literary Theatre. The two plays were then apparently played in public performance for the first time from December 17-19, 1906.

Original Cast  
Nuala A. Anonymous
Crimall Ruadh A. Anonymous
Congall A. Anonymous
Turloch A. Anonymous
Gorman Mac Rory A. Anonymous
Cellach A. Anonymous
Maelcooha A. Anonymous
Feidlech A. Anonymous

Published Scripts

  • Title

    The Pagan: a comedy in two scenes

  • Year

    1907

  • Published By

    Maunsel

  • Address

    Dublin
    Republic of Ireland

Rights Information

  • No Information Available. ITI's researchers have examined this play entry with care and no further information has yet been found. If you have further details on this entry please contact us.

Source Of Information

Information for this entry was taken from Sam Hanna Bell's 'The Theatre in Ulster'; from Wolfgang Zach's 'Selected Plays: Rutherford Mayne'; and from contemporary press reviews.