The Director of the Abbey Theatre, Fiach Mac Conghail, has defended the theatre's 2016 centenary programme, Waking the Nation, following criticism over its perceived lack of female writers and directors.
He defended his choices in a series of tweets this afternoon saying that he was "sorry" that no female playwrights were included in next year's season but said he wasn't "going to produce a play that is not ready and undermine the writer".
Mac Conghail also pointed out that the Abbey has produced nine plays by women since 2008 though he did apologise over the failure to include any Irish language plays in Waking the Nation.
I'm sorry that I have no female playwrights next season. But I'm not going to produce a play that is not ready and undermine the writer #wtn
— Fiach Mac Conghail (@fmacconghail) October 29, 2015
I don't and haven't programmed plays or productions on a gender basis. I took decisions based on who I admired and wanted to work with.
— Fiach Mac Conghail (@fmacconghail) October 29, 2015
We have produced nine plays by women since 2008. (This includes the 8 new plays and 1 revival, By the Bog of Cats by Marina Carr)
— Fiach Mac Conghail (@fmacconghail) October 29, 2015
The theatre unveiled its programme yesterday and it includes three new world premieres along with revivals of well-known classics such as Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars, The Wake by Tom Murphy and Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness.
However, all the works in the main programme are by male playwrights and only two of the plays, Cyprus Avenue and The Wake, have a female director. Ali White has written a 'childrens' monologue' for its Community and Education programme.
Yesterday there was criticism of the programme's lack of gender balance on social media including comments from actor Brían F O'Byrne (Love/Hate, Intermission, Million Dollar Baby) and novelist Belinda McKeon. However, Mac Conghail's explanation today has still left some commentators unimpressed.
So the @AbbeyTheatre launches. #WakingtheNation .Seems you can only wake #Ireland if you're male. #NoFemalePlaywrights #disgrace
— Brían F. O'Byrne (@brianfobyrne) October 28, 2015
Doesn't look like an awake nation just yet, @AbbeyTheatre. Nine out of ten male playwrights for your 2016 programme?! #fakingthenation
— Belinda McKeon (@belindamckeon) October 28, 2015
Where are the women? It's rather inexcusable... #GreatFemaleIrishPlaywrights #WakingTheNation
— Fenna v. Hirschheydt (@FennaVon) October 29, 2015
If you can't find good female writers to commission for your stage, then you're not trying hard enough. #wakingthenation #wtn
— Nadine O'Regan (@NadineORegan) October 29, 2015
