Apandemic exposes deep social injustices in Emma Donoghue’s new play, set in Dublin during the Spanish influenza

outbreak of 1918.
Over three tumultuous days in a maternity hospital, staff attempt to cope with emergency births. One teenager, Mary (Ciara Byrne),
has no inkling of what childbirth involves; Honor (Úna Kavanagh), a destitute, unmarried woman, is delirious; and the complaints of
the middle-class Della (India Mullen) provide much of the initial comedy.

Adapting her own novel for the stage, Donoghue has crammed in multiple themes and detailed information: not only on the deadly
impact of fever, but also on the political and social upheaval in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising – and the balance isn’t always
successful.

While the real historical figure of Dr Kathleen Lynn (Maeve Fitzgerald) represents progress, the emphasis here is on women’s
constrained lives, reinforced by a steely nun, Sister Luke (Ruth McCabe). Through the characters of Honor and the hospital assistant,
Bridie (Ghaliah Conroy), we are shown the cruelty of religious-run institutions, where women and children were at the mercy of nuns
like Sister Luke, whose character seems reductively emblematic of the entire institutional regime. Likewise, Lynn, a suffragist, free-
thinker and proud activist for an independent Ireland, is the sometimes didactic mouthpiece for commentary on child poverty, slums,
mortality rates.

Sarah Morris brings compelling warmth to the central role of the compassionate nurse, Julia, dealing with crises: transfusing her own
blood to save one patient, and comforting another in her grief. When a rapport develops between Julia and Bridie, their mutual
attraction is a respite from grim reality. As they look out at the night sky, vividly evoked by Alyson Cummins’ set and Sinéad Wallace’s
lighting design, there is a moment of tenderness, even hope. In Louise Lowe’s delicate direction, the scene is affecting – but it is
punctured somewhat by Bridie’s account of growing up in a Magdalene Laundry, a description that leans too heavily on Donoghue’s
research.

Yet what shines through, especially in the fine, committed performances, is a passionate urge for a better, fairer society: Kathleen
Lynn’s vision of a future secular republic where women have choices and the children of the poor are fully cared for.

1. What setting does Emma Donoghue's new play take place in?
a. A primary school
b. A hospital during the Spanish influenza outbreak of 1918
c. A police station during the 1916 Rising
d. A courthouse in the aftermath of the Civil War
2. What is one of the main focuses of the play?
a. The evolution of medical technology
b. The struggle for political independence
c. The deadly impact of fever and the social upheaval following the 1916 Rising
d. The discovery of a new form of therapy
3. Which character in the play is portrayed as a compassionate nurse dealing with crises?
a. Mary
b. Bridie
c. Julia
d. Honor
4. Who is Sister Luke in the play?
a. A supportive friend to Honor
b. A steely nun who reinforces the theme of women's constrained lives
c. An advocate for child welfare
d. A scientist researching the Spanish influenza
5. How does the play portray Dr. Kathleen Lynn?
a. As a conservative religious figure
b. As a vision of a secular republic where women have choices and care for the poor
c. As a teacher who educates the public on health issues
d. As a member of a religious order working in the hospital
6. Which is the best title for the passage above?
a. “Navigating Maternity and Mortality in 1918 Dublin"
b. "Exploring Women's Roles in a Time of Crisis"
c. "A Glimpse into a Dublin Maternity Hospital During a Pandemic"
d. "Confronting Social Injustices and Medical Challenges in 1918"

1. What setting does Emma Donoghue's new play take place in?
 B) A hospital during the Spanish influenza outbreak of 1918
2. What is one of the main focuses of the play?
 C) The deadly impact of fever and the social upheaval following the 1916 Rising
3. Which character in the play is portrayed as a compassionate nurse dealing with crises?
 C) Julia
4. Who is Sister Luke in the play?
 B) A steely nun who reinforces the theme of women's constrained lives
5. How does the play portray Dr. Kathleen Lynn?
 B) As a vision of a secular republic where women have choices and care for the poor

6. C) "A Glimpse into a Dublin Maternity Hospital During a Pandemic"