Abbey Theatre

The Abbey arose from three distinct bases. The first was the seminal Irish Literary Theatre. Founded by Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn and W. B. Yeats in 1899—with assistance from George Moore—it presented plays in the Antient Concert Rooms and the Gaiety Theatre, which brought critical approval but limited public interest. Lady Gregory envisioned a society promoting "ancient idealism" dedicated to crafting works of Irish theatre pairing Irish culture with European theatrical methods. The second base involved the work of two Dublin directors, William and Frank Fay. William worked in the 1890s with a touring company in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, while his brother Frank was involved in amateur…

Around this time the company acquired additional space, allowing them to create a small experimental theatre, the Peacock, on the ground floor of the main theatre. In 1928, Hilton Edwards, Micheál MacLiammoir, cabaret impresario Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochlainn launched the Gate Theatre Studio, leasing the Peacock from 14 October and using the venue to stage works by European and American dramatists. The Gate also sought work from new Irish playwrights and moved to its own premises in 1930. Despite the Peacock space, the Abbey itself entered a period of artistic decline. This is illustrated by the story of how one new work was said to have come to the Gate Theatre. Denis…