Book Chapters by Feargal Whelan
Beckett and Politics, 2020
The significance of the Second World War in Europe as an impactful historical event in Beckett’s ... more The significance of the Second World War in Europe as an impactful historical event in Beckett’s life cannot be overstated, but it must also be borne in mind that the whole of his life to that point was experienced in the shadow of an equally strong environment of political, military and social upheaval in his native country. Born in Ireland in 1906, he witnessed the unsuccessful military rebellion of 1916, the prolonged guerrilla war of Independence of 1919–1921, and the short but savage Civil War of 1922–1923. While certainly unequal in scale, the uncertainty and violence Beckett experienced in France from 1939 to 1945 should be read as a continuum which began for him with the mayhem that ultimately led to the creation of the Irish Free State. With this in mind, this chapter argues that the political concerns of early twentieth-century Irish life, which are inescapable given their ubiquity in the national discourse, informed much of Beckett’s thinking when he came to compose the novel Watt.
Beckett and Modernism, 2018
The decade directly following the achievement of Irish independence in 1922 witnessed the highly ... more The decade directly following the achievement of Irish independence in 1922 witnessed the highly contested attempt to develop a coherent national identity which sought to accommodate inter alia the contrasting impulses of the historical tradition of Irish myth, the reality of a postcolonial existence, and the promotion of a modern industrialized nation based on new technology. ‘Echo’s Bones’, I argue, demonstrates Beckett’s direct assessment of the national debate through a savage parody of the Free State’s public attempts to provide a coherent new vision, by providing a significant and precise commentary on 1920s and 1930s Ireland that should be read as the author’s response of resistance to what he observed. The comic method which Beckett employs as political commentary will be demonstrated as a singularly modernist literary response, and one which he shares with a number of his Irish contemporaries.
The Gate Theatre, Dublin Inspiration and Craft, 2018
The role played by Lord Longford in the development and maintenance of the Gate as a cultural ins... more The role played by Lord Longford in the development and maintenance of the Gate as a cultural institution casts an enormous shadow, as can be seen throughout this collection of essays. Because of his obvious success in the prosaic elements of theatre production, as benefactor, administrator, and saviour, it may be too easy to ignore his contribution to the cultural project of the theatre in its earliest years. By examining the early productions of Longford’s play Yahoo (1932), I argue that he must be read as a crucial figure in what was a conscious effort by those involved in the Gate to develop a coherent national narrative in the nascent Free State.
Staging Beckett in Ireland and Northern Ireland, 2016
A survey and contextualisation of the productions of Beckett plays in the Irish language
Journal of Beckett Studies, 2020
The act of teaching and studying Beckett in Dublin is heavily inflected by the knowledge that thi... more The act of teaching and studying Beckett in Dublin is heavily inflected by the knowledge that this was the place in which he was 'formed', irrespective of whatever antipathy to the place he expressed later. This article describes the effect on the pedagogy of teaching Beckett in that context.
In A Stage of Emancipation: Change and Progress at the Dublin Gate Theatre. Eds. Marguérite Corporaal and Ruud van den Beuken. Liverpool: Liverpool UP, 2021. 131-148., 2021
The work and founding philosophy of Barcelona’s Teatre Lliure, founded in 1976 in the wake of Fra... more The work and founding philosophy of Barcelona’s Teatre Lliure, founded in 1976 in the wake of Franco’s death, has been very similar to that of Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Both theatres are known as practitioners’ theatres; both have struggled to understand if an “alternative national theatre” is necessarily undermined by accepting a state subsidy; both were guided early on by a curious combination of upper-class individuals and left-wing radicals; both have benefitted from the central involvement of female, LGBT, and migrant theatremakers; both took Bertolt Brecht as a model at key points in their history; and both have used a combination of international plays and original, home-grown dramas to address changing political circumstances in the regions where they were based. An issue related to this last point is the main focus of this paper. The Irish language played a key role in the early Gate Theatre, and Catalan has been the language used at the Teatre Lliure since its founding. In this paper, we will demonstrate that the cosmopolitan/transnational character of both theatres was not undermined but actually strengthened by their use of the local language. Central to this argument will be a linking of the role of translations into the minority language at both theatres. Specifically, in addressing Catalan audiences with stories that might be relevant to them, the Teatre Lliure has always translated works from across Europe into Catalan – as opposed to focussing primarily on works written originally in Spanish. Similarly, the Irish-language productions at the Gate (whether they were mounted as part of the theatre’s Christmas and summer revues or by An Comhar Drámmíochta, the Irish-language company hosted in the Gate on Sunday nights between 1931 and 1938) came from a wide array of sources. For example, Gate co-founder Micheál macLíammóir directed plays for An Comhar Drámmíochta during those years which were originally written by Anton Chekhov, Sacha Guitry (the Russian-born French playwright), Gregorio Martinez Sierra, Molière, Leo Tolstoy, Eca de Gueiroz, the Quintero brothers, and the French writing teams of Labiche-Martin and Erkmann-Chatrian. It is clear that, even while working in minority languages, these two theatres were far from “parochial” and were indeed making strong links to the wider world
The work and founding philosophy of Barcelona’s Teatre Lliure, founded in 1976 in the wake of Fra... more The work and founding philosophy of Barcelona’s Teatre Lliure, founded in 1976 in the wake of Franco’s death, has been very similar to that of Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Both theatres are known as practitioners’ theatres; both have struggled to understand if an “alternative national theatre” is necessarily undermined by accepting a state subsidy; both were guided early on by a curious combination of upper-class individuals and left-wing radicals; both have benefitted from the central involvement of female, LGBT, and migrant theatremakers; both took Bertolt Brecht as a model at key points in their history; and both have used a combination of international plays and original, home-grown dramas to address changing political circumstances in the regions where they were based. An issue related to this last point is the main focus of this paper. The Irish language played a key role in the early Gate Theatre, and Catalan has been the language used at the Teatre Lliure since its founding. In this paper, we will demonstrate that the cosmopolitan/transnational character of both theatres was not undermined but actually strengthened by their use of the local language. Central to this argument will be a linking of the role of translations into the minority language at both theatres. Specifically, in addressing Catalan audiences with stories that might be relevant to them, the Teatre Lliure has always translated works from across Europe into Catalan – as opposed to focussing primarily on works written originally in Spanish. Similarly, the Irish-language productions at the Gate (whether they were mounted as part of the theatre’s Christmas and summer revues or by An Comhar Drámmíochta, the Irish-language company hosted in the Gate on Sunday nights between 1931 and 1938) came from a wide array of sources. For example, Gate co-founder Micheál macLíammóir directed plays for An Comhar Drámmíochta during those years which were originally written by Anton Chekhov, Sacha Guitry (the Russian-born French playwright), Gregorio Martinez Sierra, Molière, Leo Tolstoy, Eca de Gueiroz, the Quintero brothers, and the French writing teams of Labiche-Martin and Erkmann-Chatrian. It is clear that, even while working in minority languages, these two theatres were far from “parochial” and were indeed making strong links to the wider world.
Papers by Feargal Whelan
Irish University Review, Oct 31, 2023
Journal of Beckett Studies, Sep 1, 2013
Journal of Beckett Studies. Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 231-235, ISSN 0309-5207, Available Online Se... more Journal of Beckett Studies. Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 231-235, ISSN 0309-5207, Available Online September 2013
International Yeats studies, 2022
Reviewed by Feargal Whelan I n his survey of the impulses which drove the cultural revolution in ... more Reviewed by Feargal Whelan I n his survey of the impulses which drove the cultural revolution in Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century, Vivian Mercier makes a novel, somewhat outlandish claim that while: it would be outrageous to suggest that the true purpose of the Irish Literary Revival was to provide alternative employment for the sons of clergymen after Disestablishment had reduced the number of livings provided by the Church of Ireland. Nevertheless, the Revival [.. .] did have this unintended side-effect. 1
New Theatre Quarterly, Jun 30, 2016
the majority of contributors. The notion of devising with text is explored further by Noelia Ruiz... more the majority of contributors. The notion of devising with text is explored further by Noelia Ruiz’s thought-provoking chap ter, which offers a robust examination of Pan Pan Theatre’s work through a heavily contested postdramatic lens. Ruiz returns to the contested posi tion of the term ‘devising’ as understood by a European audience and Irish artists working in the field. Associated complications from a UK perspective indicate an Irish theatrical landscape conflicted by its cultural heritage and political struggles. Ruiz develops a detailed discussion on categ or ization, cultural contexts, and expanded term in ologies and the following interview with Gavin Quinn provides an articulate artist’s res ponse and reflections. The final section of the book deals with approaches to Northern Ireland and its conflicts. Eleanor Owicki’s investigations into the sitespecific work of Kabosh illustrate the desire to move beyond a ‘legacy of conflict’ and create a positive response to contemporary Belfast within an international marketplace. Owicki highlights the commercial impact of a focus on more posi tive narratives, but firmly identifies the combined responsibility not to ignore the divisive ones. This is a valuable book for the student, academic, or practitioner interested in devised theatre and/or Irish Theatre practice. Offering as much to the field of Irish and cultural studies as it does to theatre and performance studies, it initiates a num ber of important conversations to develop further research in this area. darren daly
New Theatre Quarterly, Apr 28, 2015
Estudios Irlandeses, Mar 15, 2017
Abstract. This paper will survey the means employed by various bodies within Ireland to commemora... more Abstract. This paper will survey the means employed by various bodies within Ireland to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising and argue that the various competing events combined to expose paradoxes of attitudes and behaviours at the heart of Irish society, and also interrogated the very methods of traditional commemoration which might be useful when a country revisits histories which are contentious and conflicted. An exhaustive survey is not intended rather it will focus more precisely on the street spectacle of the various parades and participatory events, and on two site-specific theatrical performances which formed part of the official programme. It will also assess the role played by the Abbey Theatre as a crucial central space in both 1916 and 2016, and demonstrate its role in various events. Key Words. Easter Rising, 1916, Centenary, Commemoration, Performance, Abbey Theatre Resumen. Este articulo versa sobre las conmemoraciones oficiales en Irlanda, celebradas durante 2016, relativas al centenario del Alzamiento de Pascua de 1916. El autor del trabajo argumenta que dichas celebraciones pusieron de relieve las contradicciones existentes en el seno de la sociedad irlandesa actual, al tiempo que impulsaron una reflexion sobre los metodos que tradicionalmente se emplean para recordar eventos del pasado. Sin la intencion de ofrecer una panoramica completa de todos los actos conmemorativos celebrados en Irlanda en 2016, este articulo se fija especialmente en algunos desfiles y en destacados actos publicos, incluyendo representaciones teatrales que recrearon los sucesos de 1916. El papel del Abbey Theatre como simbolo del sentimiento imperante durante el conflicto de hace un siglo, y su papel en la sociedad irlandesa de hoy en dia, sera igualmente analizado. Palabras clave. Alzamiento de Pascua, 1916, centenario, conmemoracion, representacion, Abbey Theatre 2016 provided a momentous year for commemoration in Ireland. It marks the one hundredth anniversary of the Easter Rising in which a group of Irish volunteer rebels took control of the centre of Dublin city and declared a republic independent of The United Kingdom of which Ireland was a part. The insurgents survived a fierce military engagement with the British army for six days before surrendering. All those involved were jailed and 16 of the leaders were executed. This moment has been regarded as a crucial moment in the cause of Irish freedom and a glorious event in the nation's history. Therefore, its celebration was always going to be an important affair. Yet the moment of the Easter Rising has many contradictions attached to it, and equally, any attempt to commemorate it has shown up these difficulties and coincidentally exposed the enormous and continuing paradoxes at the centre of Irish political and cultural life in the twenty first century. The coming of 2016 and with it the anniversary of the events of 1916 as they affected Ireland provided the Irish government with, at once, an opportunity but also a palpable problem in relation to how it should mark the centenary. It was an opportunity to celebrate the Easter Rising which, it is generally accepted, led eventually to the foundation of the independent state of Ireland in 1921, and it was an opportunity to re-examine those contentious events from a vantage point which benefitted from the distance of passed time with the self-confidence derived from a modern, well-established nationhood. Yet it also presented the problem of selecting what was to be officially commemorated. The Easter Rising may be one of the founding myths of the Irish nation but 1916 also witnessed the Battle of the Somme, not only the modern founding myth of Ulster Protestant resistance but a ferocious World War One engagement in which thousands of Catholic Irishmen fought, many of whom were committed Irish Nationalists of varying degrees, and whose experience had effectively been erased from official memory. …
Liverpool University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2021
The outstanding popular success of the 1964 Dublin Theatre Festival was a play which graphically ... more The outstanding popular success of the 1964 Dublin Theatre Festival was a play which graphically confronted the actuality of contemporary sexual harassment, abuse of male power, and hypocritical social mores, and which included the graphic depictions of Magdalen laundries and casual prostitution in urban and rural Ireland. Yet Máiréad Ní Ghráda’s An Triail and its translation On Trial have become all but invisible to the professional Irish stage and absent from any broad discussion of institutional abuse over the past decade, despite becoming a prescribed text on the school syllabus in 2003. This chapter assesses the importance of both plays through their performance histories and situates their marginalisation in the context of both the exclusion of women authors from the canon, and also to the diminished status of Irish language cultural output in popular discourse.
Journal of Beckett Studies, Apr 1, 2020
Manchester University Press eBooks, Feb 21, 2023
Liverpool University Press eBooks, Apr 15, 2021
Beckett and Politics, 2020
Samuel Beckett and Technology
Throughout Beckett’s works, railways appear as a dubious intervention by modern technology. Frequ... more Throughout Beckett’s works, railways appear as a dubious intervention by modern technology. Frequently, trains are missed, delayed, or demand that the individual spend a long time waiting to catch them. Beckett challenges the 19th century image of the train as a speedy harbinger of modernism by emphasising its reality of unreliability and enforced immobility. Using this paradox as a starting point, this chapter surveys the appearance of this mode of transport in Watt, Mercier and Camier, All That Fall and That Time, drawing attention to specific contemporary technological developments in Dublin’s suburban railways, and to the effect of the violent period of Irish history from 1916–1923 in altering the technology’s perception. It argues that the central role of rail transport in the establishment and sustenance of Beckett’s suburban home community provided him with a durable metaphor for the portrayal of personal and communal inertia and stasis.
International Yeats Studies, 2022
Reviewed by Feargal Whelan I n his survey of the impulses which drove the cultural revolution in ... more Reviewed by Feargal Whelan I n his survey of the impulses which drove the cultural revolution in Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century, Vivian Mercier makes a novel, somewhat outlandish claim that while: it would be outrageous to suggest that the true purpose of the Irish Literary Revival was to provide alternative employment for the sons of clergymen after Disestablishment had reduced the number of livings provided by the Church of Ireland. Nevertheless, the Revival [.. .] did have this unintended side-effect. 1
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Book Chapters by Feargal Whelan
Papers by Feargal Whelan
Watt has been identified for some time as a novel in the Big House tradition of Irish writing with Mr Knott’s house providing a 20th century suburban substitute for the more familiar older and rural mansion of the genre. It has also been observed that the nature of Mr Knott’s house distinctly echoes details of Beckett’s own ‘Cooldrinagh’ in Dublin’s Foxrock. Following the collapse of Ireland’s economy in 2008 many hopelessly indebted and over-valued properties were taken on by the Irish Government and transferred to set a National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to ensure the maintenance of a viable property market. Owners were allowed continue to live in the properties and draw ‘reasonable living expenses’ despite the debt owing. Among the properties acquired was Cooldrinagh. This paper will read Watt as a Big House novel in the period of post-economic growth and collapse, suggesting that its satire of dysfunction predicts the surreal/unreal performance of status and privilege without commensurate wealth or prospects in contemporary Ireland.
‘Performance as Event And Technologies of Representation’ Trinity College Dublin, April 2010.
I propose an analysis of Samuel Beckett’s engagement with the medium of radio from his involvement with the recordings and broadcast of his prose works to the creation of his radio-specific drama. I suggest that radio afforded him a process through which the singularly oral nature of his prose work following the war could be transmitted more authentically than through conventional prose publication by the printed page. By contextualizing the nature of radio drama creation at the BBC at the time, in particular at the Third Programme, I hope to demonstrate the existence of a nascent genre of high art that was attractive to Beckett. By assessing the form of the radio works Cascando and Words and Music and in particular their use of music and voice, I wish to demonstrate Beckett’s interest in exploring the idea of his work as liturgy. I contend that although this idea was recurrent in his work, radio offered him a unique forum for its representation. I hope to demonstrate that while his engagement with radio initially appeared to offer Beckett a more liberating and a more apt medium for his aesthetic, his discovery of, what were for him, limitations led to his abandonment of the medium.
Samuel Beckett’s representation of landscape provides a constant and fertile subject for analysis and interpretation. His descriptions have been seen as manifestations of an exclusively imagined environment and conversely as representations of specific scenes from his own biography which are left unexplained for the reader. Works such as Eoin O’Brien’s The Beckett Country have attempted to give a physical and topographical context to the landscapes and, in the process, attempt a workable framework for reference and resonance throughout the whole of Beckett’s oeuvre.
Using the episodes Fingal and Draff, from More Pricks than Kicks, as starting points, I wish to assess Beckett’s treatment of specific Irish landscapes to suggest that he displays a common anxiety visible in the works of his Irish Protestant contemporaries, which leads them to confront questions of belonging and ethnicity at a pivotal moment in Irish history. I will suggest that this anxiety manifests itself through Beckett’s representation of the topographies as alien and hostile and I will assess it by reference to the Belfast landscape painter Paul Henry, cited in Draff, and the Belfast naturalist and writer, Robert Praegar, whose survey of the island of Lambay seems to resonate in Fingal. I propose that in these different works a common trope emerges in which the Anglo-Irish artist and scientist feels it necessary to re-imagine the existing landscape of Ireland because of his inability to fully feel part of it.
The period 1929 to 1940 saw the appearance in Ireland of a clutch of biographies of Jonathan Swift, both in print and on stage. This paper argues that within these works can be seen a general anxiety on the part of the Anglo-Irish to re-imagine Swift as a proto-Nationalist hero to serve their purpose in a newly independent Ireland. It further traces the effect of this genre on Beckett as he researched his unfulfilled attempt at a stage biography of Samuel Johnson in Human Wishes, in 1937.
This paper traces the impact of the period Beckett spent in London undergoing psycho-analysis and argues that the his experience there demanded he confront his own status as exile both inside and outside of Ireland. As a result, Murphy must be read as a more complex and nuanced novel in the Irish tradition of 'deoraiocht' literature.
It has been properly argued that in All That Fall Beckett depicts the Irish suburban bourgeoisie of his youth withering on the vine in post-independence Ireland. I argue that the play interrogates the process of life in the community over the entirety of duration. By satirising the performance rituals of its daily life, Beckett implies that the decline of the community was inevitable, and of its own making, rather than as a result of outside influence. The play manages its critique of conflicting dysfunctional societies through its depiction of the mechanics of modern suburban life, in particular its railways, and provides a recognisable model of the fragmenting landscapes of later works