se wer , ▁Rio ▁R ita , ▁PR IN CESS ▁GR ACE , ▁R U SS I AN , ▁I RA ▁O FF IC ER , ▁I RA ▁F ear g us ▁ ▁O ` Con nor ▁( Vol unte er ). ▁ ▁W OM EN : ▁Meg , ▁Ter esa , ▁Co lette , ▁Miss ▁Gil ch rist , ▁Ro pe en . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁The ▁principal ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁are ▁innoc ence ▁set ▁against ▁the ▁political ▁mot ives ▁and ▁amb itions ▁of ▁others ; ▁and ▁the ▁arbitrary ▁power ▁of ▁authority . ▁It ▁exam ines ▁the ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁relationship , ▁and ▁the ▁Irish ▁themselves . ▁Be han ▁uses ▁Bre cht ian ▁techniques ▁of ▁directly ▁address ing ▁the ▁audience , ▁using ▁song ▁and ▁dance ▁to ▁offset ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁of ▁the ▁situation . ▁ ▁Performance ▁An ▁Gi all ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁D amer ▁Theatre , ▁Dublin , ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁It ▁was ▁translated ▁into ▁English , ▁by ▁Be han , ▁and ▁had ▁its ▁London ▁première ▁at ▁Joan ▁Little wood ' s ▁Theatre ▁Work shop ▁at ▁the ▁Theatre ▁Royal ▁Str at ford ▁East ▁in ▁October ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁It ▁subsequently ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁End ▁theatre ▁and ▁Broadway . ▁Theatre ▁Work shop ▁used ▁impro vis ational ▁theatre ▁to ▁develop ▁performance , ▁and ▁the ▁text ▁was ▁re vised ▁during ▁production , ▁in ▁a ▁collaboration ▁between ▁Be han , ▁Little wood ▁and ▁the ▁cast . ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁the