Shivaun O’Casey – 7 Oct

In the year of the centenary of the inaugural production of Juno and the Paycock we welcome Shivaun O’Casey, daughter of playwright Sean O’Casey and actress Eileen Carey, to speak at the Society to give insight into growing up in the O’Casey household, her father’s work and her own work as a theatre director:”My parents never encouraged me to go into theatre, because they knew it was spasmodic work and involved a lot of heartbreak.” Shivaun was born in 1939, by which time O’Casey had become fed up with his treatment by the Irish literary establishment and moved to south-west England. As co-executor with her brother Breon of the O’Casey literary estate, she was responsible for turning over the huge O’Casey archive to the National Library and continues to manage the Sean O’Casey Estate. Coinciding with a major revival of the work in London the conversation with O’Casey expert Dr Michelle Paull will touch on the production history of Juno and the Paycock, the writing of the play, the reaction to the O’Casey’s work and the effect of that on Sean and his relationship to Ireland. The actress Esther O’Casey, granddaughter to Sean, will contribute readings from the work.