Madam, - At the Royal National Theatre, outgoing artistic directors are usually knighted; at the National Theatre of Ireland, beheaded.
Essentially I believe the Abbey remains, despite fire, flood, and acts of God and man, a truly great theatre, and I for one wouldn't be a playwright without it.
Joe Dowling, Vincent Dowling, Noel Pearson, Gary Hynes, Patrick Mason, Ben Barnes - all have been besieged by difficulties even amid their triumphs.
The old engine of the theatre itself is remarkably Byzantine, if not Machiavellian. And the fuel for that engine is the very energy and force of each succeeding artistic director since the days of Ernest Blythe. I am offering a picture of the Abbey as a pagan monster that happens to eat artistic directors for breakfast, dinner and tea.
Ben Barnes himself leaves at the end of 2005 by his own choice. I hope before he goes it will be clearer what a fierce, committed and enlarging job he has done, and that he will be properly honoured for it. - Yours, etc.,
SEBASTIAN BARRY. Moyne, Tinahely, Co Wicklow.