Fifty Key Irish Plays charts the progression of modern Irish drama
from Dion Boucicault's entry on to the global stage of the Irish
diaspora to the contemporary dramas created by the experiences of the
New Irish.
Each chapter provides a brief plot outline along with informed analysis
and, alert to the cultural and critical context of each play, an account
of the key roles that they played in the developing story of Irish
drama. While the core of the collection is based on the critical canon,
including work by J. M. Synge, Lady Gregory, Teresa Deevy, and Brian
Friel, plays such as Tom Mac Intyre's The Great Hunger and ANU
Productions' Laundry, which illuminate routes away from the
mainstream, are also included. With a focus on the development of form
as well as theme, the collection guides the reader to an informed
overview of Irish theatre via succinct and insightful essays by an
international team of academics.
This invaluable collection will be of particular interest to
undergraduate students of theatre and performance studies and to lay
readers looking to expand their appreciation of Irish drama.