Moulding the Irish Dramatist of the Future. Memory, Modernity, and (Inter)nationalist Identities at the Dublin Gate Theatre, 1928-1940

In 1928 – only a few years after the end of the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War – two young actors travelled to Dublin to establish a playhouse of their own: the Gate Theatre. While the world of Irish drama was generally characterised by strongly nationalist sentiments during these years, their playhouse shocked Dublin by staging exciting foreign plays. In this way, the Gate’s founders also sought to foster local talent: most of all, they were looking for new Irish playwrights who would celebrate the multiplicity of the Irish nation. Consequently, this research project has analysed the ways in which the Gate’s founders, associates, and playwrights attempted to express their alternative vision of Ireland. While Irish society was bitterly divided across various political and sectarian lines and faced various paramilitary dangers, the Gate Theatre tried to promote a more inclusive notion of Irish national identities