Abstract
This chapter explores the ways in which contemporary productions have portrayed the challenging and aporetic figures of priests, between real and perceived images. From paganism and lost vocation in Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa (1990), to direct accusations of abuse in the Abbey Theatre’s ‘The Darkest Corner’ programme (2010), via dichotomic images of priesthood in Thomas Kilroy’s Christ Deliver Us! (2010), the study investigates how these plays have tackled the relationship to the Church before and after the Ryan report on child abuse. It shows the power of the stage to question both the past and a present national identity through dialogues with the audience.
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Roche-Tiengo, V. (2017). Through a Glass, Darkly: Priests on the Contemporary Irish Stage. In: Etienne, A., Dubost, T. (eds) Perspectives on Contemporary Irish Theatre. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59710-2_16
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