Neil Murray (left) and Graham McLaren pictured at the opening of The Abbey Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith’s production of The Plough and the Stars at the Gaiety Theatre last May
‘It is with regret that we, the undersigned theatre practitioners, write to apprise you of our deep concern and dissatisfaction with the direction that the Abbey Theatre has taken since the appointment of its directors, Neil Murray and Graham McLaren.
The grace period since their arrival is well and truly over and the situation in which the Irish theatre community finds itself is now critical. While the institution may be financially buoyant – and due congratulations for this – the freelance theatre community, in particular, has been cast adrift.‘
Part of a letter signed by 300 actors, directors, designers, agents and playwrights to Minister for Culture Josepha Madigan yesterday
Meanwhile…
“The Abbey Theatre is artist-led and audience-focused: we aim to ensure our programmes are driven by ambitious, big ideas by theatre-makers of all disciplines, relevant to our times and reflective of our role as a national theatre. In this approach to theatre making, we are following patterns found in many countries with strong traditions in the theatre and we are seeking to address with urgency some of the key social, cultural and political issues of our time.”
The Abbey Theatre in response
Abbey Theatre uproar: 300 actors and directors complain to Minister (Irish Times)