Birkbeck academic's TV drama gets Netflix UK release
Easter Uprising drama, Rebellion, also set for US broadcast
An Irish TV drama, written by a Birkbeck academic, exploring the 1916 Easter Uprising will be released this week on Netflix UK and beyond.
The full five-episode series of Rebellion – the highly acclaimed commemorative drama written by Professor Colin Teevan – will be released on the popular streaming service in at least six countries from Friday 8 April.
Originally premiered by Irish broadcaster RTÉ in January this year, Rebellion is set at the outbreak of World War I. As expectations of a short and glorious campaign are dashed, social stability is eroded and Irish nationalism comes to the fore. The tumultuous events that follow are seen through the eyes of a group of friends from Dublin, Belfast and London as they play vital and conflicting roles in the narrative of Ireland's independence.
Since its initial broadcast, the miniseries has been nominated in seven categories of the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA), and has been announced to receive its US premiere on SundanceTV on April 24.
The Netflix announcement comes in a busy month for Professor Teevan, whose stage adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Dr Faustus will begin its three month run in London’s West End this weekend.
The professor of Playwriting and Screenwriting in Birkbeck’s Department of English and Humanities said he was “delighted that Rebellion is to be available on Netflix”.
He said: “It is fitting that the first Irish television drama serial to achieve this distinction is one that explores the story of the beginnings of Irish independence in this the centenary year of the 1916 Rising.
“It is also fitting that the initial Netflix roll out this month will be on Netflix UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, and in the US on the Sundance TV Channel where the highest concentrations of Irish diaspora and native citizens of first and second generation Irish descent are to be found.”
Rebellion will be available to view in full on Netflix from Friday 8 April. The IFTA awards ceremony will be held at the in Dublin on Saturday 9 April. (UPDATE: Ruth Bradley won the award for 'Best Actress in a Lead Role in Drama' for her portrayal of committed republican, Frances O'Flaherty).
Dr Faustus, which stars Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington, will begin its run at The Duke of York’s Theatre on Saturday 9 April (tickets available here)
Listen to Professor Teevan talk about his latest stage and screen works in episode 39 of Birkbeck Voices.
Find out more
- Courses at the Department of English and Humanities
- Professor Colin Teevan
- Dr Faustus – The Jamie Lloyd Company