Dancing at Lughnasa

Synopsis

An award winning and moving Irish drama set in the closing days of the long hot summer of 1936. A tender portrait of a family of five strong, single women whose lives are revitalised by the breathtaking music and dancing of their Donegal home. 1990 Laurence Olivier Award and Broadway Award for Best New Play. (Lughnasa is pronounced Loo-na-sa)

Our Review:

23 February 2011

Brian Friel’s bitter-sweet slice of Irish nostalgia was premiered 21 years ago and for a while could be seen all over the place rather too frequently but it hasn’t been around here for quite a while now and as the play stands the test of time rather well, this compelling production from Suffolk-based, UK-touring, The Original Theatre Company, is a very welcome revival.

Michael – played with low-key conviction by company founder and director Alastair Whatley – tells of the year of ’36, when he was seven, the love child of Chrissie, one of the five Mundy sisters, living their uneventful lives in a remote Irish village.

Simple fun and simple ways fill the sister’s days but deep humanity is here, life-affirming women playing out their aspirations and frustrations as the outside world is finally catching up with them.

It’s a strong and authentic ensemble cast, led by Siobhan O’Kelly as Michael’s mother, det...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review