Recession, Commemoration and Covid-19 (2008–2023)

This recent period brought recession, bailout of banks, rising unemployment, and austerity to the Republic. In the North, the legacy of the Peace Process played out against a backdrop of gentrification and rebranding. This chapter charts how state inquiries and the Decade of Centenaries commemorations, led companies to create theatre that juxtaposed the past with the present as they explored the impact of austerity and precarity. It examines #WakingTheFeminists movement and actions by the Arts Councils (Republic and North) exposed how gender and other inequalities of race/ethnicity, sexuality, etc. determine who gets to make theatre. Companies were found to push boundaries collaborating across genres as digital media advanced and the Covid-19 pandemic forced theatre to conceive of itself as no longer bound by physical spaces.