Actors in a rebellion: 1916 play at Solstice

Dublin, 24th of April 1916. Ireland’s leading actors abandon a matinee of Cathleen Ní Houlihan. Stepping out of their costumes and taking their revolvers from beneath the Abbey stage, they march to Dublin Castle. Firing the first shots of the insurrection they destroyed the status quo and changed forever the course of Irish history.

Helena Molony and Sean Connolly (Aisling O'Mara and Aonghus Og McAnally) rehearsed for rebellion, carried out rebellion and suffered the fatal and living consequences of their participation. Derived from real-life testimonies, Rebel Rebel chronicles the finite moments when the play (which more than any other symbolised the link between the cultural revival and the Irish revolution) spilled revolution from the stage onto the streets, leading to Sean’s fatal shooting and dying in Helena’s arms on the roof of City Hall.

 “We wanted to explore the notion of rehearsing for a revolution in the theatre, how these actors were performing these revolutionary acts on stage, how this fed into their idealism and how they would go home charged by it and talk politics through the night,' says director Louise Lowe.

Performances of Rebel Rebel will take place in Solstice Arts Centre Gallery, Navan on Friday 22nd April at 8.15pm and Saturday 23rd April at 2pm. This performance will also offer audiences the chance to view the Galleries current commemorative 1916 Exhibition When The Dawn is Come. This show will be performed among local historical material and artefacts from Meath during the rising. Tickets are €14/€12 and can be booked on solsticeartscentre.ie or on 046 9092300.