Theatre in Belfast, 1736-1800 (review)

Abstract

The last two decades have seen a welcom reneweal of scholarly attention to eighteenth-century Irish history and culture. Much valuable work has resulted from reexamining and rethinking the constraints on historical understanding imposed by simplistic or crudely polarizing categories. Scholars of the period are increasingly focused on the complex exchanges and hybridizing transformation occurring between the two cultures of eighteenth-century Ireland. new scholarship is especially welcome on the topic of the theaer, an important site of culture exchange and cultural conflict in eighteenth-century Ireland. John C. Greene's previous work on theater in Dublin in the eigteenth century—most notably his detailed calendar of The Dublin Stage, 1720-1745, written with Gladys Clark—has established him as the preeminent modern authority on the day-to-day activity of eighteenth-century Irish theatre. Theatre in Belfast is a welcome addition to scholarship in the field, greatly increasing the information on the subject provided by William S. Clark's very readable, groundbreaking study of The Irish Stage in the County Towns, published in 1965. Despite some obvious flaws, Greene's work constitutes a valuable contribution to knowledge of Irish theater in the eighteenth century, providing a wealth of detailed information about the theaters, performers, and repertory available to playgoers in Belfast.