Ghosts of Christmas past
LIKE any venerable institution, the Abbey Theatre has acquired its own lore over the years. A prominent figure in its annals is Joe Dowling, the actor and director who worked there for 17 years, and served as its youngest artistic director between 1978 and 1985. His stewardship ended abruptly when he resigned in a stand-off with the board of management.
Dowling went on to helm famous productions while also founding the Gaiety School of Acting. Since 1995, the Dubliner has served as artistic director of the renowned Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, where he has overseen a $125m redevelopment. He is back on the home sod this Christmas to direct the Abbey’s new adaptation of James Joyce’s short story The Dead. It’s not Dowling’s first return to the Abbey — he directed All My Sons here in 2003 — but this latest return to the old stomping ground remains an emotional experience.
