OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  John P Rooney 

• Author Notes

  The play and post-performance workshop were devised in conjunction with the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland.

• Setting

  A Belfast school in 1991.

• Notes

  A play for 14-18-year-olds.

• Synopsis

  Between 1848 and 1851, more than 4,000 female orphans were sent from Irish workhouses to Australia. Their subsequent history is one of exploitation and abuse. Set in a Belfast school in 1991, Permanent Deadweight uses the play-within-a-play technique to tell this story. The play is seen through the eyes of four contemporary schoolgirls - all permanent residents of the school's withdrawal unit. Stumbling accidentally into the rehearsal room for the school play these modern-day 'sin bin' girls discover they have more in common with the production's orphan protagonists than they think.

• Play Type

  Theatre for Young Audiences
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Female

  4

• Total

  4

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  16 September 1991

• Producer

  Produced by Replay Theatre Company

• Venue Notes

  This play was first performed at the Down County Museum as part of a tour to schools and venues.

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme. Additional information was supplied by Replay Productions from information contained in the company files.