Smock Alley marks fifth year

LOVE triangles abound, and manners are thrown aside in Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s much loved comedy of manners.

The wealthy Lydia Languish, brought up on romance novels, is searching for a suitor and only a poor man will do, so it is no wonder she falls for the penniless Beverley.

However, her formidable aunt Mrs Malaprop, through a series of hilarious blunders, raises serious objections to Lydia’s choice.

‘Rivals’  is running in the famous Smock Alley Theatre at 6-7 Exchange Street Lower, Temple Bar, until Saturday, September 2 at 7.30pm with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2.30pm.

This is Smock Alley Theatre’s fifth year in operation and The Rivals is the eighth in-house production.  

Smock Alley was the first Theatre Royal built in Dublin.

Opened  in  1662  as part of the Restoration of the British monarchy  and King Charles II in  1660, along with the London’s Drury Lane  (1662) and the Lincoln’s  Inn Fields  (1661)   –  it was  the  first  custom built  theatre  in  the  city  and  still remains  in substantially  the  same  form,  making  it one of  the most  important  sites  in European  theatre history.

While  it was  in operation  as  a  theatre, it gave the world the plays of George Farquhar, Oliver Goldsmith, and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and the brilliant performances of Peg Woffington,  Thomas Sheridan, Spranger Barry,   and Charles Macklin.

It was on this stage that David Garrick, the greatest actor of the 18th century, first played Hamlet. The theatre closed in 1787.

The building was then used as a whiskey store until Father Michael Blake bought it to set up a church.

The facade boasts ornate stained-glass windows and the original ceiling plasterwork remain in Smock Alley as a witness of this time.

In 1989, the church was deconsecrated due to falling numbers of parishioners.

It was  then  redeveloped into  the  

‘Viking Adventure’, as part of the Temple Bar  rejuvenation  scheme, closing down  in 2002.

After  a  six-year  renovation,  Smock Alley Theatre  reopened  its doors  as Dublin’s oldest newest theatre  in May 2012.

With  three gorgeous venues,  Smock Alley is the perfect place to spend a cultural   evening out.

Previous productions  at Smock Alley Theatre include Oliver Goldsmith’s

‘She Stoops  to Conquer’, George Bernard Shaw’s

‘Pygmalion’,  Samuel Beckett’s

‘Waiting  for Godot’ and Martin Maguire’s commissioned piece

‘Smock!’ charting  the history of Smock Alley Theatre.

Ashleigh Dorrell has  recently been  seen in

‘The Dark Sacred Night’ by Brendan Maher  and  

‘Point of No Return’ alongside Steven Berkoff, directed by Kevin Glynn and

‘Nightshift’ by Steve Hall and Greenflash Pictures.

Ashleigh was nominated  for Best Performer at the Tiger Dublin Fringe Awards,  2016  for her  role  as Sarah Walters  in  

‘Animalia’,  which won the Stewart Parker BBC NI Radio Drama Award,   the Fishamble New Writing Award  and was nominated  for the Bewley’s Little Gem Award.

Eavan Gaffney’s recent stage credits include Nick Payne’s

‘Constellations’, performed in the Samuel Beckett Theatre as part of the Debut festival, where she also featured in Jez Butterworth’s

‘The River’.

Eavan performed in Oisín McKenna’s 2016 award-nominated Dublin Fringe hit

‘Gays Against the Free State!’

She’s also been known to sing on occasion and started her career with Edwards and MacLiammoir at the Gate Theatre and last played there in

‘Da’.

Most recently Deirdre Monaghan appeared on our screens in

‘Redwater’ the spin off from Eastenders.

Seamus Moran has played a range of interesting and challenging roles, most recently in

‘The Frankenstein Chronicles’, starring Seán Bean and The Professor and the Madman with Mel Gibson.