'Walls and Windows' debuts at Abbey Theatre

Rosaleen McDonagh's new play, Walls and Windows, is the first play written by an Irish Traveller to open at the Abbey Theatre, where it debuted on August 23rd to an audience of 50 people.

The play, which explores the racism through the lens of the Traveller experience, will run there until the 28th of August. The story follows a Traveller couple named John and Julia. All the couple want is to live their lives with their two sons, on their own terms. But despite their hopes, the outside world and its racism throws a wrench in their plans.

Directed by Jason Byrne, the play attempts to "capture the universality of the accommodation and the housing crisis in this country...The cultural ephemeral and iconography in this play attempts to honour my Traveller ethnicity."

"There was no resistance from the director and the rest of the company about ensuring my Traveller reality," Rosaleen explained to RTÉ. "My way of being was integrated into this piece of theatre. That’s my job as a writer, reflect and project."

Walls and Windows will be live-streamed from the Abbey stage to your homes on August 27th and 28th, and it will be available on-demand from 29th August until 11th September.

Watch the trailer below.