''Mixed Marriage'' by St John Greer Ervine was written for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, where it premiered in 1911.

Synopsis

Set in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, the play follows the Rainey family. As the city's factories come out on strike, John Rainey, the respected head of a Protestant family, acts to calm the sectarian tension being stirred up by politicians for their own ends. He succeeds in uniting his fellow working men against the factory owners. His son Hugh Rainey announces that his wishes to marry the beautiful Nora Murray, a Catholic. John Rainey's beliefs are challenged. He retracts his support from the strike and as a result the rioting intensifies. In the final act of the play, the Raineys are trapped in their house as the riot rages outside. Nora Murray, riddled with guilt, runs out into the street and is shot dead.

Production history

Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1911

The original production opened on Sunday 16 April 1911 at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, directed by

Lennox Robinson Esmé Stuart Lennox Robinson (4 October 1886 – 15 October 1958) was an Irish dramatist, poet and theatre producer and director who was involved with the Abbey Theatre. Life Robinson was born in Westgrove, Douglas, County Cork and raised in ...

. It was subsequently revived at the Abbey i
1920
an
1922
Cast * Sinclair, Arthur as John Rainey * O'Neill, Máire (Molly) as Mrs Rainey * JKerrigan, J.M. as Hugh Rainey * Wright, Udolphus as Tom Rainey * Nic Shiubhlaigh, Máire as Nora Murray * O'Rourke, J. A. as Michael O'Hara

Finborough Theatre, London, 2011

To mark the centenary of the play, the

Finborough Theatre The Finborough Theatre is a fifty-seat theatre in the West Brompton area of London (part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) under artistic director Neil McPherson. The theatre presents new British writing, as well as UK and world p ...

mounted a production of Mixed Marriage which ra
from 4-29 October 2011
The critically acclaimed production, directed by

Sam Yates Sam Yates (born August 1983) is a British director. Yates was born in Stockport and attended Poynton High School. He was selected as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow, named a rising star in The Observer, and featured in GQ Magazin ...

, was described as "The most compelling play in London" in
review by Guardian theatre critic Michael Billingon
Cast * John Rainey

Daragh O'Malley Daragh Gerard Marion O'Malley (born 25 May 1954) is an Irish actor, director and producer. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. Among many TV appearances O'Malley is known for his portrayal of Patrick Harper in the series '' Sharpe'' (1993–2009), ...

* Mrs Rainey

Fiona Victory Fiona Victory (born 1952) is an Irish actress. Her television roles include: Louise Daly in ''Bracken'' (1980), Harriet Wright in ''Shine on Harvey Moon'' (1982), Maeve Phelan in ''The Hanging Gale'' (1995) and Dr Annie Robbins in '' Dangerfield ...

* Hugh Rainey Christopher Brandon * Tom Rainey Joel Ormsby * Nora Murray

Nora-Jane Noone Nora-Jane Noone (born 8 March 1984) is an Irish actress. In 2020, ''The Irish Times'' ranked her 47th on its list of the greatest Irish film actors of all time. She made her screen debut in the drama film ''The Magdalene Sisters'' (2002) and h ...

* Michael O'Hara Damien Hannaway 1911 plays {{1910s-play-stub