J.W Whitbread- Wolfe Tone and Lord Edward
The J.W Whitbread melodramas, specifically Wolfe Tone and Lord Edward, received a substantial amount of criticism. These plays are not considered to have literary merit and are not viewed as the epitome of Irish plays. Nonetheless, they still have historical significance; they helped to spread the popularity of nationalism. Wolfe Tone became so prominent that it was performed for the Wolfe Tone Memorial Fund in 1899. [1]
P.J. Bourke- When Wexford Rose and For the Land She Loved
The works of P.J. Bourke were often performed in small venues, such as Father Matthew Hall. Like other melodramas, these Irish plays lacked literary merit. However, Bourke’s plays When Wexford Rose and For the Land She Loved they were still generally well-received by audiences. [1]
[1] Cheryl Herr, For the Land They Loved (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1991).
Reception and the Literary Revival
Memory and Political Melodramas