Dublin Theatre Royal of Smock Alley

Theatrical Restoration in Ireland with Premier Performance Venue

Aug 25, 2009 Kathleen Airdrie

Smock Alley Theatre was the first playhouse built in Dublin (1662) after the Restoration.

Dublin Theatre Royal of Smock Alley was located on the south bank of the River Liffey in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. The theatre was opened by John Ogilby and Thomas Stanley, holders of the Royal Patent. Described as small, neat, and well-lighted, it fronted on a street originally known as Smoke Alley. There were four separate entrances for the different social classes.

Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin Temple Bar Area

The first recorded performance was the comedy Wit Without Money by John Fletcher. The Smock Alley Theatre was the first to present an Englishwoman’s play. Pompey by playwright Katherine Philips was performed in February 1663.

Many Shakespearean productions were presented in the theatre during its 125-year lifetime. Some of the most renowned performers and playwrights staged their work there. For more than a century, the Smock Alley Theatre placed Dublin on the performance map of Europe.

Ireland Part of Theatrical Circuit

The theatre became part of a circuit with London’s Covent Garden and Drury Lane, and Scotland’s Canongate. Noted actor/playwright David Garrick and actress Peg Woffington of Drury Lane spent the summer of 1743 performing there.

Actress Sarah Ward who initiated the establishment of the theatre in Canongate, performed many times at Smock Alley. Actor David Ross made his stage debut in Dublin in 1749, and became a premier actor in London. In 1769, he purchased the Canongate theatre.

Theatre Renovation and Rebuilding

The theatre was renovated and refurbished several times. Performers and playwrights had complained for years about its deteriorating condition. In January 1735, the dilapidated building was demolished and rebuilt with special features.

The new Theatre Royal of Smock Alley was opened December 1735. It far surpassed the competing Aungier Street Theatre on many accounts. It was larger, had better stage visibility, more seating convenience, and excellent acoustics.

Dublin-born actor Spranger Barry made his stage debut at the Smock Alley Theatre in 1744. After many successful years in London theatres, he returned to Dublin. He and his partners established a new theatre on Crow Street, Dublin in 1758. A great rivalry was fought out between the two theatre companies for many years. The Crow Street theatre was chosen as the Theatre Royal and Smock Alley was closed in 1787.

In 1815, the property was sold to the Catholic Church for the site of the amalgamated parishes of Saints Michael and John. The church retained as much of the old buildings as possible and remained there until 1990. Currently, part of the building houses an Irish drama school.

Sources:

A History of the Irish Theatre 1601-2000 by Christopher Morash, Published by Cambridge University Press, 2002
The Romance of the Irish Stage

The copyright of the article Dublin Theatre Royal of Smock Alley in Theatre History is owned by Kathleen Airdrie. Permission to republish Dublin Theatre Royal of Smock Alley in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

John Fletcher, Playwright