Theatre and Residual Culture

Theatre and Residual Culture

Christopher Collins Theatre and Residual Culture J.M. Synge and Pre-Christian Ireland

Christopher Collins School of English University of Nottingham Nottingham, UK ISBN 978-1-349-94871-0 ISBN 978-1-349-94872-7 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-349-94872-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016944032 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identified as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover image: Tinker s Tree Photograph by William Collins Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London

For Lesley Collins and Desmond Collins, who taught me to treat the two imposters, just the same.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book would not have been possible without the generous financial assistance provided by the University of Dublin, Trinity College. I am grateful for the following awards: the Postgraduate Research Studentship (2008 11), the Trinity College Dublin Travel Grant (2010), the Creative Arts, Technologies and Cultures Award (2011) and the Samuel Beckett Postgraduate Studentship awarded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht/An Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta and the Visual and Performing Arts Fund, Trinity College Dublin (2012). I am grateful to the various Keepers of Manuscripts at the Berg Collection and Foster-Murphy Collection in the New York Public Library, the Royal Irish Academy, the National Library of Ireland, the Irish Folklore Commission and, above all, the Keepers of Manuscripts at Trinity College Dublin. I am thankful to my colleagues and students at the Department of Drama, Trinity College Dublin, for their invaluable support in helping me think through the research presented in this book. I would like to offer my deepest thanks to Melissa Sihra who encouraged me to research Synge s plays and performances, Ben Murnane and Paul Murphy for their unswerving critical insight, and to Brian Singleton and Anthony Roche who encouraged me to write this book. Thank you to my Editors at Palgrave Macmillan, Jen McCall and April James, for your continued support. Thank you to Nicholas and Emily Johnson, Justin and Jane MacGregor, James Hickson, Rhona Greene, Ann Mulligan, Hugh Denard, Mary P. Caulfield, Gabriel Graham, Margaret, Tom, and Michael Roche, Eibhlin vii

viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and Peter Colgan, Deirdre and John Heath, Shane O Reilly, Paul Curley and, who could forget? Jack Jeffery. Thank you to two dear members of my family William and Hannah Collins for all of your love and support. William: thank you very much for the cover image for this book. The real driving force behind the writing of this book has been Céline Lehmann. Even when I didn t believe in myself, you always believed in me. Thank you for being my guiding light. My final acknowledgement is to my parents: Lesley and Desmond Collins. This book is for you. November 2015 Christopher Collins Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland

CONTENTS 1 Introduction: Theatre and Residual Culture 1 2 Synge s Life: Religion, Class and When the Moon Has Set 25 3 Flagrant Heathens: The Tinker s Wedding 57 4 A Christless Creed: In the Shadow of the Glen 75 5 The Cries of Pagan Desperation: Riders to the Sea 113 6 A Sort of Saint: The Well of the Saints 173 7 Savage Paganism: The Playboy of the Western World 201 8 Synge s Death: The Otherworld 259 Bibiliography 271 Index 293 ix

ABBREVIATIONS NOTE: ALL QUOTATIONS FROM MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS, SYNGE S COLLECTED WORKS AND COLLECTED LETTERS PRESERVE ORIGINAL SPELLING. CL, vol. 1 Synge, J.M. The Collected Letters of John Millington Synge. Vol. 1, 1871 1907. Edited by Ann Saddlemyer. Oxford: Clarendon, 1983. CL, vol. 2 Synge, J.M. The Collected Letters of John Millington Synge. Vol. 2, 1907 1909. Edited by Ann Saddlemyer. Oxford: Clarendon, 1984. CW, vol. 1 Synge, J.M. Collected Works. Vol. 1, Poems. Edited by Robin Skelton. London: Oxford University Press, 1962. CW, vol. 2 Synge, J.M. Collected Works. Vol. 2, Prose. Edited by Alan Price. London: Oxford University Press, 1966. CW, vol. 3 Synge, J.M. Collected Works. Vol. 3, Plays, Book 1. Edited by Ann Saddlemyer. London: Oxford University Press, 1968. CW, vol. 4 Synge, J.M. Collected Works. Vol. 4, Plays, Book 2. Edited by Ann Saddlemyer. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe, 1982. IFC MS Irish Folklore Commission Manuscript. NLI MS National Library of Ireland Manuscript. NYPL MS The New York Public Library Manuscript. RIA MS Royal Irish Academy Manuscript. TCD ASMS The Letters of the Reverend Alexander Synge, June 1851 December 1852. TCD CMS The Synge Correspondence Manuscripts from the Library of Trinity College Dublin. xi

xii ABBREVIATIONS TCD JJP TCD MS TCD SSMS The Papers of Prof. John Joly from the Library of Trinity College Dublin. The Manuscripts of the Irish Literary Renaissance. The J.M. Synge Manuscripts from the Library of Trinity College Dublin. The Stephens-Synge Manuscripts from the Library of Trinity College Dublin.