Verse in twenty-first century irish theatre

Abstract

The chapter looks at a renewed interest in verse in twenty-first century Irish theatre. Through text and performance analysis, it examines how theatremakers in Ireland have explored the potential of verse, and forms of communication that approximate the linguistic energy of verse, in a wide selection of dramatic texts and theatrical performances: new writings, musicals, devised performances and innovative stagings and translations of classics. The artists discussed include Seamus Heaney, Mark O’Rowe, Stefanie Preissner, Polish Theatre Ireland, Emmet Kirwan, Arthur Riordan, Corcadorca and Rough Magic. By engaging with works in verse by theatremakers of diverse theatrical backgrounds and career levels, the chapter sheds light on their exciting practices in verse as a theatrical platform for experimentation and exploration of politics, aesthetics and soundscapes of contemporary Ireland.