This play covers the five days in which the 1916 Rebels occupied the GPO after proclaiming an independent Irish Republic.

A first reading of a new version of Colin Murphy’s hit play, Inside the GPO, which tells the true story of the Irish rebellion of 1916.

First staged in Dublin’s GPO to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016, this new version will be staged in the beautiful exhibition hall of the Grolier Club to mark the 110th anniversary of the Rising, as part of the Club’s current exhibition and event series, Risings.

Inside the GPO takes place across the five days of the Easter Rising, from the seizure of the GPO as the HQ of the rebellion to its tragic finale, with Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, and Tom Clarke amongst the protagonists.

This reading is directed by the leading Irish director Aoife Spillane-Hinks and features a cast of top New York and Irish talent.

“Deeply moving and utterly memorable... deserves to be remembered as pivotal.” The Sunday Independent

A mesmerising account of the Rising... an unequivocal success." Irish Studies Review

The reading will be followed by the US launch of the new Bloomsbury anthology, Colin Murphy’s Political Plays, which includes Inside the GPO alongside four other Irish historical dramas.

“Remarkable political theatre.” The Guardian" Colin Murphy, like many an Irish playwright before him, going back to O’Casey and beyond, has an acute realisation that the arc of history bends not just to tragedy but to farce." The Irish Times

“Colin Murphy offers us a timely contribution to all who seek to understand the complexity of our past and to engage with the ongoing work of building a more just and inclusive Ireland.” Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, 2011-2025.

Registration

If you are a Grolier Club member, please register yourself and your guests via the Club website. Do not register via Eventbrite.

Support

We appreciate your interest in the Grolier Club’s programming on the art and history of the book. For over 130 years, we have offered our exhibitions and lectures to the public, free of charge. If you have enjoyed these offerings and would like to support that tradition and help ensure that it continues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Grolier Club.

Accessibility

An ADA-compliant lift from street level to the lobby is available to anyone with mobility issues. All desk staff should be ready and able to assist you in operating the lift, with or without advance notice.

A “T-Coil” assisted listening system is available to anyone attending a lecture in the Exhibition Hall. Visitors with hearing aids should turn their devices to the “T” setting in order to access the system; visitors without hearing aids may request a “loop receiver” with earphones.

Environment

The temperature and humidity in the exhibition hall are tightly controlled for the sake of the valuable items on display, and this may cause the room to feel chilly, particularly in warmer weather, to those coming in from outside. Members and visitors are advised to bring a light wrap when visiting an exhibition or attending an event in the hall.

Time: 6:30 pm EST

Free!

Registration