WELL, if the rock star formerly known as Prince could change his name with such fanfare, why not the theatre company formerly known as Pigsback? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and all that jazz.
The change was effected with speed and rigour by its fast talking director, Jim Culleton, in the James Joyce Centre on Wednesday. Pigsback is now officially called Fishamble. After all they are based beside Fishamble Street he explained, and they recently discovered that a certain Gentleman's Theatre was established on the street in 1784, whose policy was to produce only new Irish plays and music.
Witnesses included Geraldine Plunkett and Peadar Lamb and the unfailingly supportive Tony O'Dalaigh, but the Georgian saloon was also crammed with the young actors and writers which the company formerly known as Pigsback has encouraged Enda Walsh, Tony Keily, Clare Dowling, Gavin Kostick and Ian Kilroy and Kevin Magee, who incidentally, sometimes writes for Fair City.
Pat Boran, who at 32 has already produced three volumes of poetry and a collection of short stories published by Daedalus/ Salmon Press, has been commissioned to write a play for Fishamble. He currently rejoices in the title of writer in residence at Dublin Corporation. Joe O'Connor is writing a second play for the company, to be produced in 1998, and Mark O'Rowe's second play for them, From Both Hips, will play at the Cuckoo's Nest in Tallaght and the Project The Mint in July before transferring to the Tron in Glasgow. He is all of 26 and a writer to watch.