“Patricia’s difficulties in mounting the new ballet were compounded by a theatre strike in Dublin that summer, which meant she could not use the Olympia. Ria Mooney came to her rescue by lending her the old Queens theatre, which the Abbey-in-exile was using, and it was there that ‘Gamble No Gamble was premiered during a five day season sponsored by the National Ballet  (Ballet Naisiunta) in association with Radio Eireann from 30 May to 3 June. There was no stage set, only a backdrop painted by John Ryan, an impressionistic swirl of cloudy forms. The first performance on Thursday 2 June 1961, met with a rapturous reception, as did the performance on the Friday and Saturday.

When Patricia Ryan invited Kavanagh to the Premiere he snorted derisively: what would I be doin’ lookin’ at a lot of wimmen leppin’ around the stage”. To her amazement, he showed up on the opening night in evening dress. At the end of the performance he and an equally footless Archie Potter were steered on to the stage to take curtain call, whereupon Kavanagh proceeded to address the audience at length, referring to the ballet as “my ballet” and taking the credit for himself. The ballet was repeated the following year in the Olympia with Derek Young as the dancer and Gordon Coster as the speaker”