Rapid Change, Revision and the “Troubles” (1966–1980)

The late 1960s and 1970s saw Ireland’s acceptance into the European Economic Community in 1973, educational reform, revisionist histories, increased urbanisation and the outbreak of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, all of which prompted a break with previous convictions and ideologies. This chapter shows how theatrical activity reflected this change in its themes and practices with a new generation of directors and designers. An emphasis on regionalism led to the establishment of the Irish Touring Company and the founding of Druid in Galway. There were political experimentations in form, dramas critical of Catholic morality and plays that confronted the violence in the North. The Abbey produced seminal Beckett revivals, while productions at the Project Arts Centre brought the underrepresented urban working class to the fore.