This book investigates the role and significance of the comic woman character within Irish political melodrama between 1890 and 1925. Susanne Colleary, drawing on her expertise in theatre history and performance studies, examines the performance contexts of Irish "poor" theatre, analyzing how these productions both reflected and complicated notions of Irish identity under British rule. The study delves into the melodramatic aesthetic of the era, scrutinizing plays by J.W. Whitbread and P.J. Bourke to reveal the comic structures and intentions embedded in character and action, with a particular focus on comic female figures. Ultimately, the book applies a "practice as research" methodology, using workshops, rehearsals, and a performance to explore comic identity and female performance through a feminist revisionist lens, arguing for a connection between the staged "Comic" identity and the "Everyday" self.

This book is intended for academics and students interested in theatre histories, comic women, and popular performance. The detailed analysis of specific playwrights and performance contexts, combined with a practice-based research component, suggests a scholarly approach to the subject matter. The application of a feminist revisionist lens indicates a critical engagement with historical representations of women in theatre. The book's argument about the connection between staged comic identity and the everyday self offers a unique perspective on the impact of performance.