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Career/Role in X

Gabriel J Fallon was an Irish actor, director, and theatre critic. He first became an Actor in the Abbey theatre and remained there from 1920 to 1927. He was also a member of the civil service in the Ministry of Trade and Commerce in 1919, where he remained until 1958. Fallon starred in hundreds of plays during his time at the Abbey Theatre including, “Riders to the Sea” starring as Men for 3 performances a week in 1920, and “The Shadow of a Gunman” starring as Mr. Gallagher for six performances a week in October 1927. He was employed by the Abbey’s Director Lennox Robinson as a part-time actor.

Fallon then started to focus more on Journalism after 1927 and was employed as a drama critic for publications such as the Irish Monthly(1926-1951) and the Catholic Standard(1938-1954). Gabriel Fallon, The Evening Press (14th May 1955) “take with him, and read with more humility, a copy of the Catechism”. This is an excerpt from a review written by Fallon in the Evening Press for a play written by Sean O’Casey, a well prolific Dublin playwright, in which he encourages him to consult the bible while writing. As a devout Catholic, this was not an unusual feature in Fallon’s critical reviews. It is said that Fallon and Casey had a turbulent relationship up until Casey’s departure for London in 1926.

Fallon was then a Director and Board Member in the Abbey Theatre from January 1959 to 1974, following the death of Lennox Robinson. This occurred one year after he retired from the civil service. His most noteworthy work as Director includes “The Pleasure of Honesty” by Luigi Pirandello on Sunday, 24th of October 1926. Fallon also produced plays by playwright Teresa Deevy for Radio Teilifis na hEireann(RTE), including “Katie Roche” and “Wife to James Whelan”. Fallon was also a guest lecturer in UCD on public speaking and theatre from 1950-1959.

Abbey Theatre @ Dublin