Three souls caught up in the violent winds of change….
In September 1920, during the War of Independence, dockers and railwaymen refused to transport any armed troops, or to handle any weapons arriving from Britain.
On the centenary of this act of civil resistance, Fishamble staged a site-responsive production in association with Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Port Company, and streamed it on Sun 11 October live from the Pumphouse in Dublin Port, as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2020.
Embargo is a muddy, complicated, poetic, bloody, and heroic tale of a politically motivated industrial action, in which three characters deal with a pivotal moment during the Irish war of independence.
These are our ghosts, their story is our story.
About the Production
Further Information
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Cast
Callan Cummins
Callan Cummins is an actor from Phisboro Dublin and graduated from the Gaiety School of Acting Class of 2019.
He has last appeared in Restoration by Shaun Dunne in the Project Arts Centre and Below Below directed by Raymond Keane in the main space of Smock Alley Theatre.
Productions
Matthew Malone
Matthew is an actor and theatre-maker. He completed training at The Lir Academy in 2018 and holds a degree in Drama and English from Trinity College. He most recently appeared in The 24hr Plays (Abbey Theatre) and Faultline, an ANU and Gate Theatre co-production which he co-developed (Best Supporting Actor Nomination, Irish Times Theatre Awards).
Other theatre credits include: Susie and the Story Shredder (Bombinate), Lúminaria (dir. Maisie Lee), So Where Do We Begin (Sugar Coat), Assassins and The Critic (Rough Magic). Screen credits include: Miss Scarlet and the Duke (A+E), Dad (RTÉ), The Professionals (Most Media), and The Messenger (Scorpio Studio).
Productions
Mary Murray
Mary’s stage performances have toured Europe, China and the United States. She received Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards with MAMCA, The First Irish Theatre Festival in New York and The Irish Times.
She has over 60 screen credits. She was nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the Irish Film and Television Awards for her role as Janet in Love Hate. Other notable productions include Valhalla, Penny Dreadful, Adam and Paul, The Magdalene Sisters, Dead Still and Let the Wrong One In.
She voiced numerous animations and radio plays and she’s the recipient of the Best Actress Award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2023 for her performance in the Pride of Parnell Street, produced by Fishamble Theatre Company.
Mary is the director of Visions Drama School.
Productions
Production Shots
Production Videos
Archive Image credits
Archive images used in the production are courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.
Images from Jacob’s Biscuit archives courtesy Valeo Foods/Dublin City Library and Archive.
Images from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are in the Public Domain from www.lacma.org.
The Pumphouse Presents
Embargo will be screened in November as part of The Pumphouse Presents which marks the commencement of works to create a two acre heritage zone on Alexandra Road in the heart of Dublin Port. Comprising of five theatre pieces, both new and previously staged, The Pumphouse Presents will screen the plays on Dublin Port Company’s YouTube channel over five weeks as the days darken and as the country endures a pandemic. The five pieces are offered as a reminder of what we have temporarily had to forego and what we hope to be able to enjoy again as the days begin to lengthen. The pieces are also a statement of Dublin Port’s intent to programme events in the new heritage zone based on Dublin and its port’s rich heritage.
Acknowledgements
Deirdre Kinahan would like to dedicate this play to Gerardette Bailey, and thanks all the ghosts for spinning round her.
Fishamble extends its special thanks to Jane Cregan, Hayley Durnin, and all at Iarnród Éireann; Lar Joye, Jim Kelleher, Eamonn O’Reilly, Colin Hartford, Declan Sullivan PMO, Thomas Kavanagh, the Port Heritage and Communications team, John Coady & Tom Downes of Roadbridge Construction site team, and all at Dublin Port Company; Laura MacNaughton, Aoife McCollumn and all at the O’Reilly Theatre; Willie White, Maria Fleming and Stephen McManus from Dublin Theatre Festival; Francois Gray, Colin Norris, and all at Media Coop; Peter Rigney and the Irish Railway Record Society; Cine Electric Ltd; John ‘Miley’ Walsh, Declan Byrne and the Dublin Docklands Preservation Society; The Board, Friends, and supporters of Fishamble; Rachel West, Maureen Kennelly, Liz Meaney and all at the Arts Council; Ray Yeates, Sinead Connolly and all at Dublin City Council Arts Office; Conor Falvey, Rónán Whelan, Mary Nash, Sinead Copeland, and all at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; Gráinne Mac Lochlainn and all at NLI; Siobhán Bourke, Jane Daly and all at Irish Theatre Institute; Christine Sisk, Ciarán Walsh, Valerie Behan and all at Culture Ireland, and finally, to our stalwart team of all the artists and arts workers, who have brought this production to life against all the od
Funders & Supporters
Embargo has been commissioned by Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Port Company. Supported by the Department of Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Archive images used in the production are Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland.