Druids, Dudes, and Beauty Queens The Changing Face of Irish Theatre

The current state of theatre in Ireland has never been better. A relatively young playwright, Marina Carr, was recently chosen by a select committee in Ireland as one of Ireland's ten best living writers, along with two other dramatists, Brian Friel and Tom Murphy. Add these to the names of other fine dramatists such as Martin McDonagh, Thomas Kilroy, John B. Keane, Hugh Leonard, Eugene McCabe, and Jim Nolan, and it's clear to see that the state of Irish theatre today is strong. This collection of essays is a unique exploration of this topic. With contributions from seventeen of Ireland's leading cultural critics and authorities on theatre, this is one of the most important books to be published on Irish theatre for years. Included are pieces by Colm Toibin on Billy Roche; John Waters on Martin McDonagh; Ben Barnes on the Abbey; pieces on Irish theatre in the North, New York, and France; Donal O'Kelly; Irish women playwrights; Brian Friel; and Irish language theatre.