Drama offers insight into Rising’s main woman

Madame de Markievicz On Trial, written by Ann Matthews and directed by Anthony Fox, will be staged at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre this Saturday, March 26 at 8pm.

When it comes to the women, who took part in the Easter Rising, Constance Markievicz is the most well-known. While it is not a literal account of events, Madame de Markievicz On Trial directed by Anthony Fox gives the audience an opportunity simply to ask themselves, who exactly she was.

The Countess was tried by court martial in the aftermath of the Easter Rising but this drama is set in a criminal court and is a fictional calling to account of the Countess for the death of police constable Michael Lahiff on Easter Monday, 1916.

There are seven characters in the drama, two men, and five women. The prosecutor William May is fictional and the other six, including the Countess, are based on real characters. The writer Ann Matthews and the The New Theatre with a superb cast has brought them to life on the stage,

The witnesses are based on a mix of acquaintances and friends of Madame, such as Dr Kathleen Lynn, Helena Moloney, Margaret Skinnider, and William O’Brien of the ITGWU. Meanwhile two of the women are witnesses for the prosecution, one of whom is the aunt of Constable Lahiff. Dr Lynn, a Mayo woman, is played by Galway actress and Trinity graduate, Andrea Kelly.

The prosecution tries to paint a picture of a silly woman, who is close to penury and is really something of a loose cannon. But the reality was more complex than that, and the Galway audience will be the jury as they will decide the verdict, innocent or guilty.

The play also interesting comments about class, exploring if people were in awe of de Markievicz because of her background and if we still tug the forelock when her name is mentioned almost 90 years after her death.

■ Tickets for the show, this Saturday night are available at tht.ie, by phone at 091-569777 and at the box office.