The enduring appeal of She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith

As we prepare for our latest production of Oliver Goldsmith’s enduring comedy, we recall the original production of She Stoops to Conquer at the Abbey Theatre. In 1905, the Garrick Amateur Dramatic Club hired the Abbey Theatre for a Thursday evening 8pm performance in aid of the All-Ireland Temperence Bazaar, South County Dublin Stall.  A programme from our archive confirms the prologue was by Mr. W. Alexander Craig, M.R.I.A. and spoken by Miss Mary O’Hea. Orchestral music was performed during the intervals by Mr. G. R. Hillis’s Concert Orchestra.

Later, in 1923, the Abbey Theatre mounted its first production which was directed by Lennox Robinson. All the major stars of the day performed in that production including Eileen Crowe, Maureen Delany, MJ Dolan, Christine Hayden, FJ McCormick and Arthur Shields.

Here we see the 1969 production, Pat Laffan (left) is Charles Marlow and Vincent Dowling (right) is Hastings. Interestingly both Pat and Vincent made the transition from actor to director. Pat Laffan went on to become Director of the Peacock, Vincent Dowling went on to become Artistic Director and Alan Simpson, the Director of this production was Artistic Director at this time.