Allegiance By Deirdre Morrissey

Allegiance by Deirdre Morrissey


My fella and my best friend, has been leading a double life for the last year. One day he’s Rory Moran a photographer in Dublin and the next he’s Michael Collins the rock-star gunman from west Cork. No, he isn’t loosing his marbles; he’s an actor who is touring the country playing the part of the Irish Revolutionary hero in a play called ‘Allegiance’. His Collins is not a happy man; he knows that he’s backed into a corner with these treaty negotiations, it’s 1921, he’s stuck in London and he really doesn’t like all these English aristocrats that he’s supposed to be making peace with, ‘Lord London Derry, Birkenhead and Winston Bloody Churchill’.
Allegiance is a play written by Irish legend journalist/feminist Mary Kenny. It’s an imaginative reconstruction (drawing on historical sources) of an encounter between Michael Collins and Winston Churchill, during the treaty negotiations (1921-22) in London. Michael Fassbender and Mell Smith played the two historical giants in Kenny’s play during the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. At the moment, a collaborative effort between writer Kenny, director Jason Byrne (staff director at the Abbey Theatre from 1988 to 2000) and the father and son acting team Rory Moran Sr. & Jr. in the roles of Churchill and Collins, is touring the country with this unique show. They started with St. Johns Hall in Listowel on 31^st August 2012 and by now this guerilla theater company have visited much of the country, in a romantic throwback to the old days of the traveling fit-up shows.
This very fine play is yet to be seen by the Irish masses, even though it is of major significance to anyone with even a vague interest in Irish history. Irish politics up until recently was dominated by the pro/anti treaty question. Collins, a hero to many and a traitor to others, found himself in the tightest of squeezes, during the treaty negotiations in London, which followed the truce and the War of Independence. Collins was in effect outgunned by Churchill who was the Colonial Secretary in charge of Ireland at the time and the elder statesman in the relationship. At a point when the treaty talks seemed to be in stasis, Churchill and Collins spent a night drinking together, talking, arguing, even singing and reciting poetry. The two men emerged from this session fascinated by each other. After this, Churchill’s attitude towards Ireland softened, and he gave Collins and the Irish Free State every support he could. We all know that the outcome of the Treaty led us into the saddest period of our nations short history. Could the Civil War have been avoided? Did his friend and leader, de Velara, send Collins on a kamikaze mission to London?

The play takes place in one night in Churchill’s private residence in Hyde Park when the two great men crossed swords behind closed doors. Mary Kenny reconstructs what may have gone on that fateful night, from historical sources and documents. The fact that it’s a father and son team playing the two great men, adds a whole new dimension to the drama.
Rory G, a veteran actor of 40 years and his son have no problem tearing chunks out of each other on stage as they’ve had plenty of practice in the real world! Acting is in the Moran blood, as Terrance Moran, the Grandfather, was a celebrated actor on the Irish amateur circuit in the 40s, 50s and 60s.
I first saw the show in Omagh, in the north of Ireland. It was a sell-out and the atmosphere in the theatre was so intense, you could hear a pin drop. I loved it from start to finish. It’s an opportunity to be a fly on the wall and observe in detail this conversation, which was so important to our nations history. I would recommend anyone to go, it’s brilliant and I’m not biased, not much!  Even if you’re not a regular theatre goer you’ll find this fascinating because it explores our history in an exciting, sexy way. I felt much closer to Collins and developed a greater understanding of Churchill after watching Allegiance. 
The play isn’t funded by the arts counsel, which would usually have to be the case before someone could undertake a tour like this. Sásta Productions, which was set up specifically to get this show on the road is doing it all by themselves.
The subject matter of the play is still controversial after all these years and theatre is a fantastic way to both reveal and enliven our history for all Irish people, especially students. Edel Ni Loingsigh, Muinteoir Staire agus Gaeilge, Colaiste Daibhaid, Corcaigh said, “The Treaty Negotiations are a Case-Study for the Leaving Cert History Paper for 2013-2014 and Leaving Cert students are currently about to undertake an in-depth analysis of this topic. As I watched your play I realised that it would be a perfect way to allow students develop and deepen their understanding of the motivations and personalities of the characters involved. I am a member of HIST (History Teachers' Association of Ireland) and will be recommending it to my colleagues".
The director Jason Byrne who is more familiar with the works of Chekhov, Shakespeare and Becket, claims that  “It’s a well written play and we’ve found a way to make a dead story, come alive. Even though we all know that the story ends sadly, with Civil War and Michael Collins’s tragic assassination, each night on stage there are moments when it looks like Churchill is rattled and that Collins’ argument is so strong, so true and so compelling that history might just be changed.”
The play itself is a historical document. It's about two very charismatic historical characters, republican and imperialist: and it’s about something, which must continue to be done in our world today, whenever political negotiations arise from conflict.
Rory S, that’s my fella, concludes that, “The theme of the play is just as relevant today as ever because countries all over Europe are negotiating their future with a European super-state. Our leaders are now exchanging sovereignty for the promise of economic stability. Our national politicians are outgunned and outranked by continental, super politicians. We can only hope that our leaders will try, like I believe Collins did, to get the best deal they can for our country within the boundaries of real politics.”

Allegiance will be performed at The Waterside Theatre in Derry on Friday the 26th April and The Town Hall theatre in Dungarvan on Thursday 9^th and Friday 10^th May. Tickets are available at Forde’s Topaz garage on the Cork Road and The Lady Belle in Grattan Square.