Lady Gregory understood the importance of cake. For each new production at the Abbey Theatre, she arrived with a large brack for the players. Brack, or bairín breac in Irish, was a simple traditional fruitcake made locally near her home near Gort in County Galway. It’s easy to imagine her bringing the package up to Dublin on the train.

Lady Augusta Gregory (1852-1932) co-founded The Abbey Theatre, National Theatre of Ireland, in 1904. She was also a playwright, a folklorist, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. Her most famous protégé was the Nobel prizewinning poet W B Yeats, whose reputation overshadowed hers for decades. Now, she’s taking her place in the spotlight.

Let’s raise a glass to Lady Gregory at The Westbury, where an afternoon tea experience has been created in her honour. Expect tea, sandwiches and scones prepared and presented with the grace of a Japanese tea ceremony. And legendary cakes. Allow yourself at least two hours to enjoy the experience. Breakfast lightly; don’t have lunch.

The Lady Gregory Afternoon Tea celebrates The Westbury’s 40^th anniversary and 120 years of The Abbey Theatre. To mark the occasion, the theatre has launched The Gregory Project, a programme that honours Lady Gregory with contemporary work by Irish female playwrights. One of the highlights of the year – Lady Gregory’s ground breaking play Grania (1912) – has been reimagined for 2024 by director Caitríona McLaughlin and runs at the Abbey Theatre from 21 September to 26 October.

Since cake and culture are an excellent combination, the Lady Gregory Afternoon Tea includes five miniature desserts, each inspired by one of her plays. Picture yourself in the Westbury’s Gallery in the afternoon sunlight, looking down at the hustle and bustle of Balfe Street below, while your waiter tells the story behind each beautiful cake. The storytelling is optional, but do take the time to listen. As the tale unfolds, each cake becomes a chapter in a wider narrative. You can eat them in any order you choose!

The Lemon and Blueberry Tart, a zesty shortcrust classic, is inspired by Graina. The tale is drawn from ancient Irish legend and questions the steadfastness of love. Think of this as you bite into the hidden heart of blueberry jam.

Every story needs a little laughter and the Choux au Craquelin takes its cue from Lady Gregory’s Spreading the News. This one-act comic play was one of three performances to run on the Abbey’s opening night on 27 December 1904. The play is about gossip and the audience laughed so hard they missed half the jokes. Here, it’s interpreted in choux pastry with mascarpone cream, and strawberry sauce. Saucy gossip, anyone?

More seriously, if cake can be serious, the Gâteau Opéra has layers that represent the layers of oppression in Irish history. It’s inspired by Gregory’s play The Rising of the Moon, first performed at the Abbey in 1907. The play is a political allegory. The cake is buttercream with coffee and Tia Maria soaked sponge and chocolate ganache.

The next surprise comes in a glass. The Coconut Panna Cotta with Golden Pineapple Gel is inspired by Gregory’s The Golden Apple (1916). It’s a play for children, the quest of a golden apple to save the life of a dying king. The quest is epic. So is the confection.

The final cake, although there is no running order, is a Raspberry and White Chocolate Crémeux. This tiny taste-bomb, encased in raspberry chocolate, has a velvety heart of white chocolate and raspberry cream. Its inspiration is Dervorgilla (1912), a one-act tragedy about of a noblewoman who is married to an older, wealthy man against her will. Like so much of Gregory’s work, the play highlights the marginalisation of women within Ireland’s patriotic narrative. It’s also a story of love, loyalty and betrayal. The cake is simply splendid.

The Lady Gregory Afternoon Tea costs €70 or €93 with a glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV.

Reserve your place at www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-westbury-hotel/dining/afternoon-tea or email thegallery@doylecollection.com

Call to make a reservation: +35316463328