The Portable Theatre
1969, English. Directed by Terence McDonald.
An appealing portrait of the McCormick players, one of the last travelling theatre groups in Ireland in the late 1960s. Terence McDonald captures their variety show of songs, sketches and puppetry, along with interviews with the family members, most of whom were born into the business and have been on stage from as young as three years old. The audiences are diminishing due to the rise in television and showbands, but the family’s passion for the stage still burns brightly. RTÉ had scheduled this documentary for broadcast in 1967 but postponed transmission after the Apollo 1 explosion due to the unintended new context of one of Bert’s songs You’ll Never Reach the Moon. The film concludes with a song wishing the family goodbye with a final curtain call, with the family credited as Colm McCormick, Betty, Bert Patterson, Coral Patterson, Queenie White and Joe.
- Runtime
- 0h 24m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- English
- Rated
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The Portable Theatre isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 1 January 1969.
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- Released
- 1 January 1969
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The Portable Theatre: quick answers
Is The Portable Theatre worth watching?
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How long is The Portable Theatre?
The Portable Theatre runs 24 minutes (0h 24m).
Does The Portable Theatre have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for The Portable Theatre. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
The Portable Theatre parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
No age rating is listed for The Portable Theatre yet.
Which OTT platform is The Portable Theatre on?
The Portable Theatre isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 1 January 1969. (Checked 12 November 2026.)
What movies are like The Portable Theatre?
If you liked The Portable Theatre, try Sunshine on Leith, Trevor Noah: You Laugh But It's True, Cemetery Junction.
Who directed The Portable Theatre?
The Portable Theatre (1969) was directed by Terence McDonald.