Dublin’s Abbey Theatre refused to facilitate a play based on word-for-word testimony of the events of October 7th because the production did not “fit the remit” of its “programming aims and ambitions,” an Irish-born producer has claimed.
Phelim McAleer, alongside his wife, Ann McElhinney, wrote the play ‘Oct. 7: In Their Own Words,’ attracting worldwide coverage, including in The Daily Mail, The New York Post, and Fox News.
However, the producers faced obstacles in Ireland when Mr McAleer wrote to the Abbey Theatre to book the premises for private rental. The Abbey, which makes itself available for private as well as corporate hire, says on its website that it “provides a unique setting for events in the heart of Dublin city,” and tells visitors that “we look forward to welcoming you and your guests to the Abbey.”
“All spaces are available for daytime hire. Evening hires are also available, depending on the production schedule,” according to Ireland’s national theatre.
Mr McAleer, an Irish documentary filmmaker, told Gript that he reached out to the venue on August 27th 2024 detailing his request. In the correspondence, he asked if it would be possible to hire the Abbey Theatre for a staged reading of the play, adding that it would be “a private event for the Jewish community in Ireland and those who wish to learn more about the day and its significance.”
Those emails have been seen by Gript.
Mr McAleer explained that the play is “100 per cent verbatim,” consisting completely of eyewitness accounts of people who survived October 7th in Israel. Attaching media coveeage of the play, he also told the Abbey that it had completed an off-Broadway run in New York. The request was made that the play be staged around October 7th for the first anniversary (however Mr McAleer noted that another show was running at that time, so suggested another Sunday, October 27th 2024).
Having asked for a list of available dates to book the Abbey for a private event along with prices, an event co-ordinator for the 220-seat venue responded by informing the producer that the Abbey had been fully booked for an event on October 27th and “have been for a number of months now.”
In a further email, a staff member said that the venue had hit its quota for Sunday bookings for the season, and so would not be in a position to provide the space or the staff.
The dramatist received an email in September 2024 saying that the Abbey’s Events co-ordinator could speak to “senior staff and artistic management about this booking” because all hires, private or public “are subject to their approval and the suitability of such within our artistic programme.”
In November, Mr McAleer emailed again and asked whether the calendar for 2025 had opened up, and whether there would be any availability in January.
On November 15th, he was informed in an email that all co-productions and presentations on the Abbey Stages “are at the initiation of the Artistic Director.”
The email added: “Unfortunately this does not fit the remit of our programming aims and ambitions but thank you very much for sending on the details.”
Mr McAleer told Gript that the staged reading of the play would have “nothing to do with” the Abbey and was not being held under their banner. The husband and wife duo wanted to rent the space and would staff it, as well as doing all the funding and production.
“WHAT ARE THEIR PROGRAMMING AIMS AND AMBITIONS?”
“[The Abbey Theatre] responded positively when we first inquired but once they found out what we were planning and ran it up the chain they said the proposed private hire “does not fit the remit of our programming aims and ambitions”. So basically they are restricting who can hire their mostly government-funded premises based on the perceived political opinions of the people hiring. Is this legal in Ireland?” the New York Times best-selling author told Gript.
“The Abbey is a private company that receives over 80 per cent of its funding from the government,” he added.
“We were in Ireland when the October 7 massacre happened and it was Ireland’s reaction that inspired us to go to Israel to create the OCTOBER 7 play.
“The play was in New York, off-Broadway. And we talked about our plans to bring it to college campuses and Ireland – Ireland always got the biggest round of applause.”
“This discrimination against the people telling the truth – going against the grain in Ireland – is particularly ironic given the Abbey’s self image of how radical it is.
“On their website they just love talking about how controversial they have been and how their work inspired riots,” Mr McAleer said, referring to 1907, when The Playboy of the Western World by Abbey director, J.M. Synge caused riots in the audience.
“And of course they love boasting that they were champions of freedom of expression,” Mr McAleer said in reference to a note on the Abbey’s website relating to the first production of The Showing-Up of Blanco Posnet by G.B. Shaw, which had been refused a licence for performance in England, but was shown at the Abbey.
The producer pointed out that on its website, the Abbey claims that “our supporters recognise the power of the arts to provoke and move, and that expressions of diversity, community and empathy are fundamental to healthy civic life.”
“A private hire did not fit the remit of their aims and ambitions so what is the remit of their programming aims and ambitions?” McAleer added.
“The Abbey receives 90 per cent of its funding from the government, mostly from the Arts Council but also the Dept of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Tourism and RTE.
“They have an obligation to not discriminate against people who want to hire their premises. This was to be a private event and the Abbey rents to a whole variety of people, organisations and businesses.
“The Irish taxpayers heavily fund the Abbey so we thought it was the perfect place to have our event,” Mr McAleer added.
“It is sad and infuriating that the Abbey has rejected a private rental because of what they think is the content of the play. It seems that Jewish voices don’t matter and must be silenced in modern Ireland. The Abbey Theatre prides itself on diversity and inclusion and hearing all voices. It’s all over their website, but we’ve had to learn that those lofty mission statements and artistic statements are simply untrue.”
The film producer believes it is the case that “some voices are not welcome.”
On the other end of the political spectrum, there has also been controversy around the Israel Gaza conflict. Courtney Carey, an Irish employee who was fired from Wix over her social media posts about Palestine, won €35,000 in compensation last August. Ms Carey, a customer care team leader, was sacked by the Israeli tech company, which employs around 500 people at its office in Dublin, after she described Israel as “a terrorise state” on social media.
She later said she condemns all forms of violence regardless of the perpetrator. She has since claimed was was “blacklisted” from the tech sector because of her views. Wix conceded that the dismissal was procedurally unfair.
The Abbey Theatre has been contacted for comment, but had not responded at the time of publication.