This oasis of Irish culture was our first pub theatre

Published: 12 March 2010

• I DO not wish to enter into the “row” over which is the first pub theatre in London, but, to put the record straight, it was in fact opened at The Duke of Wellington, in Balls Pond Road, in 1967. The manager was the late lamented novelist and playwright JM O’Neill, whose novels Open Cut and Duffy is Dead are classic chronicles of the Irish building class in north London.
The Sugawn Theatre got its name from the sugawn chairs imported specially from Co Clare (sugawn means hay rope in Gaelic). The theatre was preceded by The Sugawn Kitchen, a venue noted for live Irish music. The Fury Brothers played there and the resident band was led by the late Tony Bradley.
This oasis of Irish culture attracted stars of stage and screen, and the major press critics reviewed its productions.
Hugh Leonard’s play Da was premiered there, but Dan Crawford claimed this honour when he produced the play at The King’s Head many years later.
When the Sugawn closed owing to O’Neill’s ill health, the organising committee used the equipment from it to open the Old Red Lion Theatre.
The Gate Theatre in Notting Hill Gate opened with a transfer of At Swim-Two-Birds from the closing Sugawn. Not many people know that! So give us credit where credit is due.
A Sugawn Theatre commemoration in 2006 was attended by dignitaries from Limerick and London, a representative from the Irish Embassy, celebrities and past members.
The Mayor of Islington opened the commemoration at Mildmay Library. Afterwards at The Duke of Wellington, The Northern Celts played until midnight and a delightful colleen played the Irish harp during the lunch break.
To date, The Sugawn Theatre has been commemorated by the mayor and civic leaders at Limerick City Hall in 2007, at Limerick University in 2008, at Hammersmith Irish Cultural Centre in 2009 and at the prestigious Irish Club, in Tudor Street, Finsbury, in 2009 when the Written Word was set up to encourage the Irish to put pen to paper and follow JM O’Neill in recording their life and times.
The next commemoration will take place in October. A book on The Sugawn is being collated and anyone with reminiscences or memorabilia is invited to contribute by going to www.sugawntheatrememorial.com or emailing thesugawntheatre@gmail.com.
DORIS DALY
Sugawn Memorial coordinator
Thornhill Road, N1