A sweeping new production at Dublin's Abbey Theatre is taking audiences on a monumental journey through a century of the city's social history. Barbara Bergin's 'Dublin Gothic' offers what the playwright terms a 'losers' history', following the intertwined lives of four families from the slums of the 1880s to the crises of the 1980s.
A Century of Dublin Life on Stage
The narrative is anchored to a single inner-city tenement building, opening in 1880. From this starting point, the play paints a vivid picture of lives constrained by poverty, disease, and violence, moving through key historical moments. The broad historical canvas encompasses the slum strikes, the 1916 Easter Rising, the early years of Irish independence, and the heroin and HIV-Aids crises that gripped the city in the 1980s.
In the spirit of Seán O'Casey, the drama focuses on the recurring traumas faced by its characters, particularly the women. The storytelling is driven by a dynamic ensemble of 19 actors who remain on stage throughout the three-and-a-half-hour runtime, collectively portraying more than 120 characters.
Characters Conflating History and Fiction
A central thread is provided by the character of Honor Gately, a defiant sex worker played with compelling force by Sarah Morris. Morris also portrays Honor's great-granddaughter, who seeks to break familial cycles by writing a novel. This dual role creates a powerful link across the decades.
Bergin employs pointedly anti-heroic conflations of historical figures. The audience encounters emblematic versions of James Joyce, Pádraig Pearse, and Brendan Behan, alongside a musician reminiscent of Bob Geldof or Bono. A parade of flawed men—politicians, priests, and writers—flashes past, with narrative momentum sometimes prioritised over subtlety.
Honor's son, brought to life with gleeful comedy by Thommas Kane Byrne, provides one of the play's lighter moments as an 'accidental patriot' during the Easter Rising.
An Ambitious Production Facing Narrative Challenges
Staged on Jamie Vartan's imposing set—a cross-section of the tenement building—the production, directed by Caroline Byrne, is undeniably ambitious in scale. The stacked design offers dramatic potential, though the critic suggests it is not fully realised.
With the vast narrative to cover, the form itself presents challenges. The actors function as a shifting chorus, constantly narrating plot and switching costumes. This whirlwind of exposition, while energetic, can feel smothering, leaving little room for new insights amidst the teeming canvas of stories.
Despite this, the production is marked by punchy energy and clear commitment from its large cast. Dublin Gothic continues its run at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin until 31 January, offering a unique, if overwhelming, perspective on the city's last hundred years.
