THE PLAYS OF LOUIS DALTON
Louis Dalton is an Irish actor, producer and playwright whose work is as highly regarded and still relevant today, all these years later, as it was in first produced in the Abbey between the late 1940s and the ‘50s.
Born in Dublin in 1900, Louis was part of a family which ran its own fit-up theatrical outfit that toured the towns and villages of Ireland.
Having had some of his earlier plays staged by the Abbey, he was brought in as a producer and even after his untimely death at the age of 50 in 1951, further plays of his were produced at the Abbey with even greater success.
He was married to the actress Annie Dalton, whom older people will remember as the gossiping Minnie Brennan in RTEs first rural drama series ‘ The Riordans’. They split up however and, when Louis Dalton died, Annie married actor John Cowley, who played the part of Tom Riordan.
‘Lovers’ Meeting’ has a cast of nine (5m/4f) and is set in the kitchen of the Sheridan farmhouse in the Midlands in the 1940s. It tells the story of unrequited love, romance, match-making and tragedy with a very griping storyline and ending.
The storyline takes place over an evening in July, early the next morning and two months later.
A previously unrevealed past relationship intrudes tragically into the present as a match is made between a young girl and a neighbouring farmer.
Some of the other well known plays from the pen of Louis Dalton include ‘The Devil A Saint Would Be’, ‘They Got What They Wanted’, ‘The Spanish Soldier’ and ‘Cafflin’ Johnny’ to name but some.
After June of this year, plays from this playwright should be out of copyright. However, it is advised to ensure this is the case prior to rehearsal - a call to the DLI (Drama League of Ireland) should confirm this fact. They can also help you secure a range of scripts from their vast library.