Ireland's Theatre on Film: Style, Stories and the National Stage on Screen

This book provides an in-depth examination of the association between Irish theatre and film across a significant period of the last century. Divided into three interwoven sections, the book considers the relationship historically (as functional, financial, and political) between the Abbey Theatre and film practitioners from the beginning of the sound period. Secondly, it explores the adaptation for screen of a number of plays from the Abbey repertoire and it considers how key directors such as John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and Carol Reed used a theatricality of performance and narrative of 'Irishness' to cinematic effect. Thirdly, it looks at the implications for a cinematic style of performances by stage actors, both individually and in groups. The book introduces an original perspective on understanding a theatricality of film. This includes adaptations and appropriations of dramatic texts for the screen, the interactions of Irish stage performers and internationally established directors, and the merging of performative styles through the two media. It lucidly introduces theories of theatre, cinema, and the nation that will cater to non-experts in each of the fields, as much as it will propose new avenues of study for researchers who have already a significant level of expertise in the areas covered. It also brings to light new information gathered from documents, papers, and other archival sources to explain the significance of the theatre and film relationship in Ireland.