One hundred years ago, a small group of untested politicians left Dublin for London, to negotiate for Irish independence with one of the most formidable delegations ever put together.
The Irish were seeking to take back control; the British believed they were stronger together. The Unionists believed in a hard border on the island of Ireland; the Republicans wanted the border in the Irish Sea. The Irish wanted a hard exit from the British Empire; the British tried to tempt them with the Canada option. And overseeing it all was a prime minister nobody trusted, notorious for his wizardry. The Treaty is a history play for this moment.
The Treaty was staged in the Kevin Barry Recital Room of the National Concert Hall, where the Dáil debates on the treaty actually took place in 1921. It transferred to the Irish Embassy in London and was part of a programme of events to mark the centenary of various aspects of the Anglo-Irish Treaty which was signed on the 6th December 1921.
The Treaty was co-commissioned by Fishamble and Pavilion Theatre. This production is part of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s Decade of Centenaries programme. This production is supported by Culture Ireland, National Concert Hall, Irish Embassy London, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Department of Foreign Affairs, and British Irish Chamber of Commerce.
About the Production
Running Time
95 minsAge Guidance
14+Other Info
Special thanks to the Central Bank of Ireland for granting permission to use the Portrait of Lady Lavery as Kathleen Ni Houlihan by Sir John Lavery.
Special thanks to Hugh Lane Gallery for granting permission to use artworks from their gallery.
Further Information
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Cast
Karen Ardiff
Karen was born in Dublin and graduated from the Samuel Beckett Centre in TCD.
Recent theatre credits include Rearing is Sparing by Thomas Kane-Byrne for Dublin Theatre Festival 2021, The Unmanageable Sisters (The Abbey) Stronger (Guna Nua) and Dublin will Show You How at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin and Inside the GPO and The Alternative for Fishamble Theatre Company.
Other stage credits include: Rathmines Road (Jim Culleton, Dublin Theatre Festival), Normal (Maisie Lee, WeGetHighonthisCollective), Angela’s Ashes (Thom Sutherland, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre), Oedipus (Wayne Jordan, Abbey Theatre), Peer Gynt (Lynne Parker, Rough Magic – Irish Times Best Supporting Actress nomination), Threepenny Opera (Wayne Jordan, Gate Theatre) Steel Magnolias with Mischa Barton (The Gaiety Theatre), and Love in the Title (Abbey/International tour – ESB/Irish Times Best Actress Award).
Work with other companies includes: The Colleen Bawn (Bedrock – Irish Times Best Supporting Actress nomination), The Stuff of Myth (Crazy Dog Audio Theatre & Lane Productions) and Helene Hannf in 84 Charing Cross Road (Andrews Lane Theatre – Irish Times Best Actress nomination for both).
Recent screen credits include the Oscar nominated Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley as well as RTÉ’s Acceptable Risk . Other Film/TV includes Noble (nominated for several international awards and three IFTAs), A Terrible Beauty… (Tile Films) as well as Evelyn with Pierce Brosnan.
Productions
Jane Brennan
Jane was most recently seen on stage in Druid’s production of Richard III , at the Lincoln Center in New York and in HOME at the Abbey Theatre. She appeared in the Academy Award nominated and BAFTA winning feature film Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley for which she received IFTA award for Best Supporting Actress in 2016.
Other recent Film/TV credits include Striking Out (RTE), Paula(Alex Holmes/BBC), NW (Saul Dibb – BBC2), Trial of the Century (Maurice Sweeney – TV3), Intermission (Parallel Films), Love/Hate and Fair City(RTE). She has recently completed filming a recurring role in Hidden Assets (RTE) which will broadcast later in 2021.
Jane has played leading roles with all of the major Irish theatre companies, recently including Druid’s production of The Beacon at the Gate Theatre as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, Richard III & By the Bog of Cats (The Abbey). She received an Irish Times Best Actress nomination for her role as Mary in The House and the Irish Times Best Actress Award for her role as Alice in Alicetrilogy, written and directed by Tom Murphy (2007).
Other credits include Pygmalion (The Gate – Harvey’s Award Nomination Best Actress) and Not I at the Lincoln Centre, New York, as part of the Gate’s Beckett Festival and Splendour (RAW Productions at the Project – Irish Times Best Actress Nomination).
Productions
John Cronin
John can now be seen on screen in Fair City on RTE. He most recently appeared in Glue (Rough Magic) and in Restoration at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
Film/TV credits include: Fair City, Rebellion, Resistance (RTÉ), Black 47 (Fastnet Films), The Foreigner (Netflix), Trial of the Century (TV3), Y Sycras (Fatti Films), Trivia (RTÉ), Jack Taylor (Telegael), Insatiable (Kirby Films), Legend (RTÉ), The General (Merlin Films), The Last Bus Home (Bandit Films), Family (BBC) & The Commitments (20th Century Fox).
Theatre credits include: It was Easy (In the End) (The Abbey Theatre), Before Monsters Were Made (15th Oak), Sunder, On Corporation Street, Pals (Anú), A View from the Bridge, My Cousin Rachel (The Gate Theatre), Digging for Fire (Rough Magic), Othello (Second Age), Glengarry Glen Ross (The Gate Theatre), I am My Own Wife (Prime Cut), The End of the Road (Fishamble), Richard III (Fast & Loose), Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Livin Dred), The Anatomy of a Seagull (Loose Canon), Comedy of Errors (The Abbey Theatre), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Making Strange), Saved, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Romeo & Juliet (The Abbey Theatre), Stuck (Project Arts Centre) & Stones in His Pockets (Duchess Theatre).
Productions
Shadaan Felfeli
Shadaan has an M.A. in Drama and Performance Studies from U.C.D. and has trained at the Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin.
Theatre credits include: Home Theatre [Ireland], (Dublin Theatre Festival/ Draoícht); My Name is Language, (Dublin Theatre Festival/ Project Arts Centre); The Other War, (FESTABIT/ Project Arts Centre); Waiting for Godot, (Mouth on Fire Theatre Co. /Theatre X Cai, Tokyo/Kyoto University of Arts & Design); One for the Road, (Gate Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, (Abbey Theatre); Rough for Theatre II, Catastrophe, (Mouth on Fire Theatre Co./ National Concert Hall); The Burning House, (Dublin Dance Festival); Bodach an Chóta Lachna, (Baboró Children’s Festival, National Tour). Film credits include: Herself, (B.B.C./ B.F.I./ Element); Sensation, (I.F.B./ Blinder Films); The Fading Light, (I.F.B./ Park Films).
Television credits include: Innocent (Series 2), (I.T.V.); Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, Fair City, (R.T.Ė.); The Take, (Sky); Father and Son, (I.T.V.). Radio credits include: No Love Lost, Seany Boy, (R.T.É.).
Productions
Patrick Moy
Patrick trained at RADA. Theatre work includes A Holy Show (Verdant Productions/Pleasance, Edinburgh), The Omission of the Family Coleman (Ustinov Studio, Bath), A Holy Show (Mermaid/Peacock), The Weir (Sherman, Cardiff/Tobacco Factory, Bristol), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (AFTLS, US tour/Cockpit), The Sound of Music, Abigail’s Party, Translations, The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Curve, Leicester), Richard ll (Ouroboros/Everyman), Anglo the Musical (Verdant Productions/Kite Entertainment/Bord Gáis Energy Theatre), The Playboy of the Western World, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Glass Menagerie (Lyric), The Madness of George lll (Theatre Royal Bath/West End), The Taming of the Shrew (RSC, Stratford/West End), The Merchant of Venice (RSC, Stratford), Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Duchess of Malfi, The Revenger’s Tragedy (Loose Canon), Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest, She Stoops to Conquer, A Life (Abbey), Elizabeth (Kabosh), Amadeus (Ouroboros), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Cripple of Inishmaan (Leicester Haymarket), The Clearing (Shared Experience), King Matt (TAG), The Playboy of the Western World, Peter Pan, Macbeth, Lovers (Lyceum, Edinburgh), Macbeth (Battersea Arts Centre).
Film work includes Official Secrets (Classified Films), The Daisy Chain (Subotica Entertainment). Radio work includes A Holy Show, Roger Casement’s ‘Apocalypse Now’, for RTÉ.
He was nominated for Best Performance at the Dublin Fringe Festival and for the Ian Charleson Award. He voiced a regular character on Footy Pups (CBeebies), has narrated many audiobooks.
Productions
Caitríona Ní Mhurchú
Caitríona is an award-winning performer/writer/theatre maker. Most recently she played ‘C’ in Performance Corporation’s VR theatre show Emperor 101 for DTF 2.
She collaborated with choreographer Sibeal Davitt as performance director/dramaturg on Minseach for DFF 2021. She was commissioned by Aisling Ghéar to write on online play for 7-12 year olds; An Botún. Transmission – for her own company Little Wolf – played Abbey Theatre/ Peacock Stage DFF 2020.
Other recent work includes Nassim for DTF 2019 and the title role in Forever Yours Mary-Lou at the Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath. Favourite work includes Lippy, The Seagull, 16 Possible Glimpses, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, The Sit, Guaranteed and the 10th Anniversary Celebration of The Oak Tree by Tim Crouch at The Traverse. An Oireachtas award-winner, Caitríona has written extensively for children’s television and her children’s books are published by Cló Iar-Chonnachta/O’Brien Press. Her book Ó Lúibíní Lú was nominated for a Glen Dimplex Award. Her first radio play Momento Mori was a PJ O Connor award-winner. The Little Penpal won Gold in New York Radio Festivals for Best Writing. Gadhar a sound-story commissioned by RnaG 2019 was published in a compendium in 2020. Mise & Ise was comissioned by RTÉ 1 as a response to the pandemic.
Caitríona is a Story Line writer for Fair City, RTÉ.
Productions
Simon O’Gorman
Simon worked with Landmark on Asking For It and at the Gate in A Christmas Carol. He also spent time in Belfast with Prime Cut performing the one-man show, Every Day I Wake Up Hopeful, and at the Gate Theatre as Georgie Burgess in two sell-out runs of Roddy Doyle’s The Snapper.
His most recent appearance at the Abbey was in Sive by John B Keane in 2014. Simon’s Film credits include The Escapist, Bobby’s Girl, The Alarms and Dark Touch while, for television, Simon was part of TV3’s The Bailout which aired earlier this year, and spent the previous two summers filming Striking Out for RTE.
Other television credits include The Clinic, Pure Mule, On Home Ground, The Big Bow Wow, Fair City (all for RTE); Ripper Street, Eastenders (BBC).
Productions
Camille Lucy Ross
Camille is a graduate of the Philippe Gaulier school, LA’s iO West Improv school, The Gaiety School of Acting and University College Dublin. She most recently appeared in Callan’s Kicks (RTE) and is a series regular. Camille is also a writer, improviser and founder of Brazen Tales productions for which she wrote and performed in Big Bobby. Little Bobby (First Fortnight Winner) and How To be Angry (Best Ensemble nominee).
Theatre credits include: Sauce (Dublin Fringe Festival), The Odd Couple (The Everyman), We Can’t Have Monkeys in the House (New Theatre), GPO 1818 (Fishamble), The Grimm Tale of Cinderella, (Smock Alley), Coast (Red Bear), Monster Clock (Collapsing Horse), Travesties (Rough Magic), Pocket Music (Bewleys/Little Gem Award), Anna in Between (Pillowtalk/Best Performer nominee), A Christmas Carol (The Gate); Serious Money (Rough Magic SEEDS), Durang Durang (Brazen Tales, Top Theatre Performance), Fused (Project Arts Centre), Animus (Denis Clohessy), The Lesson (Zoe Reardon), Richard III, Twelfth Night (Fast & Loose).
TV & Film credits include: Callan’s Kicks (Catchy Title), The Rafters (John Carney/Warehouse), Finding Joy (Treasure) Republic of Telly & Bridget & Eamon (RTE).
Productions
Kate Stanley Brennan
Kate’s theatre credits include: Conversations After Sex (thisispopbaby), SHIT (thisispopbaby), Restoration (Project); Evening Train (Everyman Cork), Riot (thisispopbaby); The Plough and the Stars (Abbey Theatre; Lyric Theatre London and Gaiety); Walk For Me (Project); Crestfall (Druid); The White Devil (Shakespeare’s Globe); Invitation to a Journey (Cois Ceim/Fishamble; The Night Alive (Lyric Belfast / Gaiety); Hedda Gabler (Abbey); Wuthering Heights (Gate); A New Day (Bewleys); The Risen People (Abbey); Witness (Fit Up Fest); Best Man (Everyman/Project); Tiny Plays for Ireland (Fishamble); The Making of Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Siren), Yerma ( West Yorkshire Playhouse ), Sanctuary Lamp (Arcola Theatre London), Terminus by Mark O’Rowe (Tour), The Playboy of the Western World, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and Saved ( all Abbey Theatre), Love and Money (Hatch, Best Actress Nomination) , Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Making Strange/ Best Supporting Actress Nomination), Caligula (CHRG/Dublin Theatre Festival), Translations (Ouroboros), Salomé (Gate Theatre), Mother Goose (Gaiety Theatre), Macbeth (Second Age) and Sonnets for an Old Century (X-Belair).
Film and television credits include Kin (RTE), Float Like A Butterfly; Dollhouse; Chasing The Green Thanks for Nothing; Dublin in Pieces; Speed Dating; The Tudors, Fair City and RAW
Productions
Ian Toner
Ian Toner recently appeared in CATCH 22, directed by George Clooney on HULU. He was last seen on stage in Gym Swim Party as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. Ian trained at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin.
Ian appeared in the role of Kieran in Redwater (BBC/RTE), Season 1 of RTE drama Rebellion directed by Aku Louhimies and in Wrecking the Rising for TG4 directed by Ruan Magan.
Other screen credits include An Klondike, a TV mini series for TG4 produced by Abu Media and Charlie opposite Aidan Gillen in a three part mini-series produced by Touchpaper Films/RTE. He recently completed filming a recurring role on VALHALLA (Netflix). Other theatre credits include Hugh Travers These Stupid Things, the leading roles of Brendan Bracken & William Joyce in Double Cross at the Peacock Theatre, the role of Jimmy Porter in the Gate Theatre production of Look Back in Anger directed by Annabelle Comyn, Wild Sky directed by Jo Mangan and At The Ford (Rise Productions) at the Dublin Theatre Festival.
Other stage appearances include Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and Tom in The Vortex directed Annabelle Comyn, both at the Gate Theatre and Bennett in Punk Rock at the Lyric Theatre.
Productions
Ali White
Ali was born in Belfast and lives in Dublin. Recent theatre performances include: Chekhov’s First Play (Dead Centre) MESS (Festival Sarajevo, winner of best Production); Driving Home for Christmas (Lyric Belfast); Home Project (Draíocht Blanchardstown); Asking for it (Landmark); The Effect (Rough Magic); Lippy (Dead Centre); Northern Star (Rough Magic, Best Supporting Actress Irish Times Theatre Awards); Bailed Out! (Fishamble: The New Play Company); Deadly (Abbey Theatre); God of Carnage.
Recent Film and TV Work includes: Three Families (BBC); The Windermere Children (BBC); Christmas at Castle Hart (Hallmark); Cellar Door (Samson Films); The Secret (ITV); My name is Emily (Ferndale Films); The Bailout (Virgin Media). Writing Work Includes: Me, Mollser (Abbey Theatre Community and Education Department); Catching the fly (BBC Radio Ulster); The Clinic (Parallel Films); Any time Now (BBC NI/RTE).
Productions
Jonathan White
Jonathan was born in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in New York. His acting career began while he was still studying at Trinity College, Dublin.
Jonathan co-wrote, produced and starred in the two hander To Hell In a Handbag directed by Conor Hanratty which appeared in the Dublin Fringe Festival and toured nationally and internationally from 2016 to 2019.
His theatre work includes: Haughey Gregory (Fishamble: The New Play Company), Anglo: The Musical (BGET & Olympia) No Escape, The Comedy of Errors, Ladybag, Calvary, The Resurrection, The Quare Fellow and Imeachtaí na Saoirse (Abbey) The Life of Galileo, I Can’t Get Started, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Our Country’s Good, Serious Money, No End of Blame and Victory (Rough Magic), Amadeus (Ouroboros) Mutabilitie (Theatreworks) Comedians (Bickerstaffe) Massive Damages (Passion Machine) and The Merchant of Venice, Othello, King Lear, Hamlet and As You Like It (Second Age). Films include Happy Ever Afters, Cracks, Veronica Guerin and When Brendan Met Trudy.
Television credits include Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, Ripper Street, Titanic: Blood & Steel, Betrayal of Trust, Honeymoon for One, The Santa Incident, Wild Decembers, Whistleblower, The Tudors, On Home Ground, The Ambassador, Nighthawks, A Song For Europe and Father Ted.
Productions
Production Shots
Production Video
Cast Portraits
Photo Credits: Leo Byrne