Rough Magic's 20th anniversary production, Improbable Frequency treats an historical moment that has resonances in the ethical dilemmas of the present, one that has arguably been among the most important factors in the shaping of Irish identity from the 1940s to the latter decades of the 20th century. This paper proposes an analysis the fusion of the non-naturalistic generic elements in the play and their effects.
It considers the implications of formal references in conjunction with performance analysis of the 2004 production to contend that Improbable Frequency represents an important modification of the history play in the contemporary Irish context.