Abstract This article outlines substantial recent transformations in Irish theatre and argues that much contemporary work has been focused on addressing the social and economic turbulences that Ireland has been experiencing by zooming in on the attendant anxieties and fears. It examines this thematic area in conjunction both with theatrical form and with the effect on the spectators, dividing plays and productions into four categories. The first of these includes works that have depicted Ireland and its anxieties by way of allegory; Mark Doherty’s Trad (2004) and Michael West and Corn Exchange’s Freefall (2009) are discussed as examples reflecting different stages of recent Irish history. The second category features works focused on the anxieties of economically marginalised individuals and groups; detailed analysis is provided of ANU Productions’ The Boys of Foley Street (2012) as an instance of radical site-specific theatre that instigates fear in the spectators. Works in the third category centre on gender identity and the anxieties experienced by LGBT individuals; the fictitious docudrama I ♥ Alice ♥ I by Amy Conroy is singled out as an instance of exciting emancipatory theatre. The fourth category is comprised of works dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and revolving around the fears and frustrations that concern the future; the recent plays by David Ireland, particularly the dark comedy Cyprus Avenue, are discussed as representative of outlining the indelible effects of nationalism on individual identity and ending on a pessimistic note.

中文翻译：

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爱尔兰剧院的焦虑

摘要 本文概述了爱尔兰戏剧最近的重大转变，并认为许多当代工作都集中在通过放大随之而来的焦虑和恐惧来解决爱尔兰所经历的社会和经济动荡。它结合戏剧形式和对观众的影响来检查这个主题领域，将戏剧和作品分为四类。其中第一个包括通过寓言描绘爱尔兰及其焦虑的作品；Mark Doherty 的 Trad（2004 年）和 Michael West 和 Corn Exchange 的 Freefall（2009 年）作为反映近期爱尔兰历史不同阶段的例子进行了讨论。第二类特色作品关注经济边缘化个人和群体的焦虑；对 ANU Productions 的 The Boys of Foley Street (2012) 进行了详细分析，将其作为激起观众恐惧的激进的特定场所戏剧实例。第三类作品以性别认同和 LGBT 个体所经历的焦虑为中心；艾米·康罗伊 (Amy Conroy) 的虚构纪录片《我 ♥ 爱丽丝 ♥ 我》被选为令人兴奋的解放剧院的一个实例。第四类是处理北爱尔兰麻烦遗留问题的作品，围绕着与未来有关的恐惧和挫折；大卫爱尔兰最近的戏剧，特别是黑暗喜剧塞浦路斯大道，被讨论为概述民族主义对个人身份的不可磨灭的影响的代表，并以悲观的语调结束。