A decision by the Abbey Theatre not to bring its forthcoming Irish-language show, Caoineadh Art Ui Laoghaire, to the national Irish-language theatre An Taibhdhearc has angered and upset the directors of the Galway theatre. This show, which An Taibhdhearc had planned as part of its 70th birthday celebrations, will now be staged in the English-language Druid Theatre.
The Abbey performs Irish-language plays every 18 months, touring them to the State's Gaeltacht areas, then in Dublin. In Galway An Taibhdhearc is normally the venue for these productions.
Five months ago the Abbey's touring manager, Mr Maurice Power, provisionally booked An Taibhdhearc for the play, which was written by Tom McIntyre and features actors Tom Hickey and Liam Heffernan.
It was to receive its Irish premiere there in April. However, in late February he informed the theatre's administrator, Aoife Ni Scolai, that for reasons of text, design and direction, the Taibhdhearc was unsuitable.
The play's director, designer and author wanted the performance area without a stage or fixed seating where actors could enter and exit from all sides. After examining several other venues in the city, he chose Druid. The Taibhdhearc's board is deeply disappointed with the Abbey's move, especially as this production was to form part of the Irish-language theatre's 70th birthday celebrations, its chairman, Micheal O hAinnin, said.
Mr Power insisted there was no intention offending An Taibhrearc. "While we were looking at other venues, we proposed staging the play in conjunction with An Taibhdhearc in another space. Then Druid became available and we opted for it."