of art that was "neither Dublin nor Munster nor English in its character and essentials, but Ulster in heart and soul". Hobson was later to describe their goal as that of "writing and producing distinctively Ulster plays, which would be a commentary on the political and social conditions in the North of Ireland". Their 1904 production included George Russell's Deirdre at first, and towards the end of the year Hobson's Brian of Banba and Parkhill's/Purcell's The Reformers. The first issue of the theatre's journal Uladh (the word for Ulster in Irish, in the genitive), financed by Bigger, was published the same year. Later Later plays included Gerald McNamara's The Mist that Does Be on the Bog, first performed in 1909, and Rutherford Mayne's The Drone, first performed in 1908 and a staple of the company thereafter. The Drone and McNamara's Thompson in Tir-na-nOg were to prove widely popular with audiences. The latter resonated with Ulster audiences because of its use of language and cultural references that were specific to Ulster and current events of the time. Parkhill's/Purcell' further plays included The Enthusiast (1905), The Pagan (1906), and Suzanne and the Sovereigns (1907 in collaboration with McNamara). McNamara's further plays included The Throwbacks (1917), No Surrender (1928), and Who Fears to Speak (1929). In all, over the course of its lifetime the Theatre produced 47 original plays. Reflecting Hobson's originally stated goal, most of these were satirical in nature (some straight political satire, others satirical comedies), and only six were mythological. By 1909 the company gained a permanent home in the Grand Opera House in Belfast, and by 1915 the company was simply named the Ulster Theatre. Uladh did not last long. Financial difficulties caused the closure of the whole Theatre in 1934. References Cross-reference Reference bibliography Further reading External links Theatre companies 1904 establishments 1934 disestablishments