In a visually direct manner, Peadar Lamb’s glass frieze for the New York-based Irish Repertory Theatre encapsulates Ireland’s theatrical heritage, writes James Hanley.
In 1967 the eldest son and first child of Abbey actors Peadar Lamb and Geraldine Plunkett accompanied his parents on tour around the West of Ireland. Where else was the newborn to go? The show, as they say, had to go on. Fast forward to 2007 and the forty-one-year-old Peadar Jnr receives an invitation from the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York to make one of his distinctive stained glass pieces for the building’s façade. It will explore the history, context and influences that helped shape Irish and Irish-American drama. The serendipity is complete. This is a dream commission for this particular artist.
