The First Five Years of the Field Day Theatre Company

'Suddenly there were people coming who had never been to theatre before because they felt it had something to say.'

Stephen Rea

Northern Ireland, 1980: a year that saw over one hundred people killed, while clashes between the nationalist and unionist populations attracted the attention of the worldwide media.



It was against this backdrop of the Troubles that playwright Brian Friel and actor Stephen Rea came together to form the Field Day Theatre Company. With the subsequent addition of several other prominent literary figures - Seamus Heaney, Tom Paulin, David Hammond and Seamus Deane - the company's formation marked a clear turning point in the NI arts scene. What is less clear is whether the company aimed to convey a political message, or to stand apart from the partisan turmoil unfolding on the streets.

This look at the first five years of Field Day and the plays that it performed, aims to answer that question by examining the reception given by local press, contemporary and modern-day academics and the general public.