A REVUE in the Peacock Theatre in 1970 about events in the North found itself overtaken by some of the objects of its satire. – JOE JOYCE
THE PREMIERE of “A State of Chassis,” described in the programme as “a political-polemical-satirical revue by John D. Stewart, Tomas MacAnna and Eugence Watters,” at Dublin’s Peacock Theatre, was interrupted for about five minutes last night by Mr. Eamonn McCann, chairman of the Derry Labour Party.
Mr. McCann told the audience that the reason for the demonstration was that he regarded “this display of the struggle against British imperialism in Northern Ireland as abysmally ignorant”. There were people in British jails on sentences of up to a year because they regarded the struggle as an important fact. He added: “The caricature of Bernadette Devlin on this stage for your delectation is a disgrace.”
All the Opposition M.P.s at Stormont, with the exception of Mr. Ivan Cooper, were present at the premiere, and, while they did not take part in the demonstration, their comments about the show were unfavourable.
When Mr. McCann first took to the stage after the interval he was dragged off by one of the ushers as soon as he got out the words, “I object to this production.” At this point there were shouts from the audience of “Go to hell” and “Throw him out.”
Mr. McCann freed himself with the help of Mr. John Kelly, a member of the Belfast Citizens’ Defence Committee, and, climbing back on the stage, began to issue leaflets to members of the cast who were carrying on the show around him. The leaflets asked for funds for the defence of Frank Roche, who is alleged to have thrown two grenades of CS gas into the Chamber of the House of Commons.
While the players left the stage at the end of the scene, Mr. McCann explained the reason for the protest. There were shouts of “Get on with the show,” and then Mr. McCann was drowned out by slow handclapping.
He was again grabbed and pulled from the stage, and a number of men, some . . . from the audience, began to struggle. A number of blows were struck, and McCann received a blow to the head. Mr. John Kelly and Mr. Tomas MacAnna, artistic director of the theatre, appealed to the struggling people to be peaceful.
A woman in the audience screamed: “The only solution is non-violence,” and McCann replied: “Nono (sic)-violence my arse-tell that to the imperialists !”
Mr. MacAnna: “The show will go on.” Mr. McCann: “Anyone who thinks that the events in Northern Ireland as a matter for laughter is a hypocrite.”
Mr. MacAnna (to the audience): “All we can say is to echo the words of Byron: If we laugh at any mortal thing, it is that we may not weep.”
Mr. McCann then left the theatre with some of his friends.
In the lobby during the interval, before the protest took place, Mr. McCann complained that the players were “jumping around for the delectation of the people of Dublin who can afford 17s. 6d. for a seat”.