Embargo: A Talk with Deirdre Kinahan & Jim Culleton

In this special Heritage Week event, playwright Deirdre Kinahan and director Jim Culleton (Fishamble: The New Play Company) reflect on the creation of Embargo, their powerful site-responsive production marking the centenary of a key moment in Irish labour and political history.
In September 1920, during the War of Independence, dockers and railway workers refused to transport armed troops or handle British weapons. Embargo, staged live from Dublin Port’s Pumphouse during the 2020 Dublin Theatre Festival, honours this act of civil resistance.
Blending poetry, politics, and history, the play explores a muddy, complicated, and heroic moment through the lens of three fictional characters caught in the midst of a pivotal struggle.
This free talk offers a behind-the-scenes look at the research, creative process, and significance of performing this work in the heart of the port .