N1205 Abbey Theatre

The "Serious Theatre" stage of ticking off had already begun a few months ago in Smock Alley, and has now continued to our National Theatre. 

My specific visit was to see a play on the smaller, subterranean Peacock stage. This features a small bar area which sells wine and bottled beers/ciders, primarily from independent Irish producers. The ticket check is after the bar area, so you could probably get away with ticking this one off without actually buying a ticket... but don't say I suggested that! You will not get in to the actual play without a ticket, however.

In terms of the grand old Dublin theatres and their history, the Abbey is a relative newcomer; having been opened in 1904; however it opened in the space of the former Mechanics Theatre - itself about a hundred years older. Only the Gate, founded 1928, is newer amongst the long-standing operations.

That old building was significantly damaged by fire in 1951, causing the Abbey to move to Pearse Street for a decade and a half, before returning to a then striking Michael Scott designed building on the original site in 1966.

Unfortunately, this building is now increasingly unsuitable for modern expectations. For instance, the Luas, which opened over 20 years ago, can be heard passing while inside the Peacock - as the room was not built with sufficient sound or vibration isolation to cope with trams that wouldn't arrive for almost 40 years; and which have got longer and more frequent even since.

A replacement building has been discussed since the 1990s; with a larger plot around the existing building being slowly assembled - this explaining the empty and derelict state of many of the buildings reaching from the theatre to the quays. Recent public progress on the new plans have been effectively non-existent, but the theatres 2025-2030 strategy does still plan for a new building. If this goes ahead, expect the Abbey to drop off any lists of licences for a number of years.

I still have double digit figures of theatres left to visit - attending plays had never been my thing, only certain venues amongst the serious/grand theatres also do music or comedy performances; and a lot of the suburban theatres (each County Council having at least one) are rather inaccessible without driving. So theatres make up the single largest grouping in my outstanding visits, and will obviously make up much of my future reports.