PLAYOGRAPHYIreland comprises two comprehensive online searchable databases and catalogues: Irish Playography (all new Irish plays produced in English since the formation of the National Theatre in 1904) and Playography na Gaeilge (all new Irish plays produced in Irish since 1975).

PLAYOGRAPHYIreland not only defines the Irish theatrical repertoire for the first time but also aims to revitalise that repertoire by reintroducing many lost scripts and providing a gateway for locating and clearing rights for all existing scripts. As PLAYOGRAPHYIreland allows writers to attach downloadable versions of their plays to the database, it is also acts as an online script repository.

The catalogue Irish Playography was launched in three phases: Phase I (1975-2003) following two and half years of extensive research; then Phase II (1950 - 2005) and finally Phase III (1904-1949) in July 2006.
This database is updated on an on-going basis.

The Playography na Gaeilge catalogue will also be launched in three phases: Phase I 1975 - 2009 in April 2010 to be followed, when resources allow, by Phase II back to 1950 - 1974 and Phase III back to 1901 - 1949. This database is updated on an ongoing basis.
A list of all PLAYOGRAPHYIreland staff and contributors is included on the Credits page.

PLAYOGRAPHYIreland catalogues are complemented by analyses of their contents.

To date the following report is available

• The Irish Playography - Findings Report 1904-2006. pdf version click here. Published 2006.
  
  
• PLAYOGRAPHYIreland – Findings Report of Playography na Gaeilge 1975-2009 in English click here. Published April 2010.
  
  
• PLAYOGRAPHYIreland – Findings Report of Playography na Gaeilge 1975-2009 in Irish click here. Published April 2010.
  
  

PLAYOGRAPHYIreland has been delivered, produced & managed by Irish Theatre Institute (formerly known as Theatre Shop). Irish Theatre Institute exists to maximise creative opportunities and resources for performing artists and producers in an all island and international context. Irish Theatre Institute promotes Irish theatre, plays, playwrights and theatre artists through web based information provision, publication, international networking and promotion for further details see www.irishtheatreinstitute.ie

Irish Theatre Institute is funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon with project support from Culture Ireland and Foras na Gaeilge. PLAYOGRAPHYIreland has been made possible by the support of the Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Foras na Gaeilge.

Playography Ireland Research Parameters:

1. Contains a comprehensive listing for each new play in English (including new versions, adaptations and translations) produced in Ireland by professional theatre companies, venues, festivals, commercial producers and once-off-producers from 1904 to the present. The database also includes those plays produced by fringe (unsubsidised) companies and by semi-professional organisations, where the work is deemed to be of particular significance to the repertoire. The work of significant Irish playwrights whose work has been premiered abroad is also included.
   
   
2.  For various reasons it was not deemed possible to include the work of amateur companies, community theatre, pageants, readings, semi-staged productions, pantomimes, plays commissioned but not produced, plays published but not produced, revues, cabaret, récitations, sketches, performance art, stand-up comedy and puppet shows.

1. The Playography na Gaeilge database contains a comprehensive listing for each new play in Irish (including new versions, adaptations and translations) produced in Ireland by professional theatre companies, venues, festivals, commercial producers and once–off producers from 1975 to present. The database also includes those plays produced by amateur companies and semi-professional organisations where the work is deemed to be of particular significance to the repertoire. The database includes pantomimes which were deemed of particular significant to the Irish language repertoire.

2. For various reasons it was not deemed possible to include the work of community theatre, pageants, readings, semi-staged productions, plays commissioned but not produced, plays published but not produced, revues, cabaret, récitations, sketches, performance art, stand-up comedy and puppet shows.

All decisions relating to the research parameters have been agreed in consultation with Playography’s Advisory Panel

Updates

The contents of this website will be updated on an on-going basis as new Irish plays are performed at home and abroad.

Where gaps exist in the information provided, we invite users with knowledge of the missing information to email us at playography@irishtheatreinstitute.ie. We are particularly anxious to hear from writers or other rights holder whom we have not yet located.

The information contained in PLAYOGRAPHYIreland is presented in as neutral and objective a manner as possible. In order to facilitate searching by subject matter, however, two particular searches have been included in the advanced search page: the first is a free text search which searches the title, sub-title, setting and synopsis of each play for specific words or phrases; the second is a drop-down list of pre-determined words that have attached to individual plays by Playography staff. We would caution all users that both searches are limited by design and, despite their obvious uses, do introduce a measure of subjectivity.

At present, PLAYOGRAPHYIreland's catalogue of Irish Language plays Playography na Gaeilge only contains plays back to 1975. It is the intention of Irish Theatre Institute to research and document the repertoire of Irish language plays back to 1901 when resources are available, and in due course to make this information available.

For further information please email:
playography@irishtheatreinstitute.ie

Requests for Additional Information

Irish Theatre Institute has published all the information it has gathered on the PLAYOGRAPHYIreland website. The organisation can assist with some individual requests for additional information but may not be in a position to meet the needs of all requests.

Errors and Omissions

While Irish Theatre Institute has taken every care in collating information for this website, it does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in www.irishplayography.com; www.irishtheatreinstitute.ie.

Technical Specifications

PLAYOGRAPHYIreland databases have been designed by Irish Theatre Institute's technical partners, the Dublin-based IT company, X Communications Ltd. www.xcommunications.ie. The scale of the databases required an enterprise-level, industry-standard database solution. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 was chosen on the basis of easy integration with Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS), the standard Internet server software supplied by Microsoft.

A Note on Telephone Numbers

International telephone codes are used at all times on this website. Locally, to phone Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland, users must dial the direct code (048) instead of the international code + 44 28