OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Denis Johnston 

• Setting

  Act I: Dotheright's home.
  Act II: The local offices of the Comet.
  Outside a suburban post office.
  Act III: The local offices of the Comet.
  A room in a Police Court.
  Dotheright's home.
  

• Synopsis

  The play is based on the true story of an old man in Ireland who having been cheated by his employer and moved by the injustices of the world and hearing people lauding rebels and revolutionaries, decides to lead a rebellion himself and declare himself president. It turns out to be only a one-man rebellion and he is naturally arrested. But instead of being imprisoned as he expected, he is sent to a lunatic asylum. At the end of the play the other characters get together a bond for his good behavior so that he can be released, and they meet to welcome him back home. But his reaction is not what they expect. The play is billed as a comedy but as Denis Johnston puts it, "It should also be remembered that the highest art of comedy is sometimes to leave people wondering why they ever laughed at all."

• Play Type

  Plays General
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  7

• Female

  4

• Total

  11

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  25 April 1939

• Production Notes

  The tune for the 'Irrational Anthem' written by Arthur Duff.

• Producer

  Presented by Longford Productions

• Original Venue

  Gate Theatre/Amharclann an Gheata
  

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme and from press cuttings.