The theatre of Marie Jones: telling stories from the ground up

Abstract

It’s sometimes asserted that Irish women writers are doubly marginalised: first by their nationality and then by their gender. If that statement is true, we might add to it that Marie Jones has been marginalised a third time, in that much of her work uses popular forms such as music hall, comedy and popular music – styles of performance which have gained little attention to date within Irish theatre studies. She has been neglected for other reasons too: her focus on working class characters and preoccupations, her interest in collaboration, and her exploration of Ulster protestant experiences and cultures, as well as Irish nationalism. Yes, her worldwide hit Stones in His Pockets has been written about frequently, if not always admiringly – and yes, Jones’ work has appeared occasionally in studies of theatre from Northern Ireland, notably Imelda Foley’s Girls in the Big Picture (2003). But as this collection demonstrates unambiguously, there is much more to be said about her plays, both individually and collectively.