 The former Torch Theatre | |
| Address | 114-116 Capel Street Dublin 1 Ireland |
|---|---|
| Owner | Charles L. Keogh and Evelyn Lund |
| Type | theatre |
| Current use | Capel Street Antiques Market |
| Opened | 1935 |
| Closed | 1941 |
The Torch Theatre was a theatre located in Capel Street, Dublin, which operated from 1935 to 1941.[1]
The Torch Theatre was founded by husband and wife team Charles L. Keogh and Evelyn Lund and opened on February 27, 1935.[2] The building had previously been used as the headquarters of the United Trades Council, with the meeting room being converted into the theatre space.[3] Another founding member was the artist Lilian Davidson, who under the stage name "Jennifer Maud", designed scenery and was a co-director in 1936.[4]
The semi-professional company that was based out of the Torch Theatre specialised in productions of melodrama and opened with a production of The Colleen Bawn.[3] The production later focused less on melodrama and more on light theatre, pantomime and comedies.[5] Other plays the theatre produced were A Royal Divorce, In Memory of the Dead, Nell Gwynne, and Arrah-na-Pogue.[5] Some of the actors who took part in these productions were F. J. McCormick, Eve Panton, and Harry Brogan.[5] In 1936 Cyril Cusack directed and set designed a season of Irish language plays.[3]
The theatre was largely unprofitable and operated sporadically until 1941.[5] The final production was a revue Sensations of 1940, directed by Dan Rockford.[5] There is now a preservation order on the facade of the building.[3]
