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:

21 September 2005

Manchester's most reliable theatre company consistently produces plays of a superb quality, pleasing both audiences and critics alike. Roger Haines’ excellent production of Brian Friel's poignant tale of sisterly love is yet another feather in the Library's distinguished cap.

Set in 1930's Ballybeg, County Donegal, Friel's tale follows the lives of the Mundy sisters. Kate is the stubborn, old fashioned teacher who also assumes the role of head of the house. Maggie uses her good humour to get through every day. Rose and Agnes look out for each other and spend every waking hour knitting and carrying out house work. Chris is a single mother whose heart tells her that the father of the child will want to do right by her one day.

With Europe on the verge of terrible change, the family is sheltered from the violence; but drastic changes in loyalty begin to take place. As the cracks begin to show, each member of the household realises their poor but close-knit existenc...

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Latest User Review

20.138.246.89) - 5 October 2005:

As I wandered into the Library theatre, saw the set and heard the 1930's music I had a good feeling about the evening ahead and wasn't dissappointed. It is hard to do this play justice from describing it. It depicts the life of five sisters in rural Irland in 1936. Mainly sheltered from the harsher aspects of the real world all of this is due to change. The play itself depicts their day to day life but through the eyes of the seven year old illegitimate son of Chrissie, here portrayed as an adult looking back, we learn through his narration of the bad things to come that will split this family unit apart. There is no weak link in the acting, directing or design. You feel the warmth of the family and the pressures they live under and through the narrator you learn what they do not yet know of their future lives. This is a powerful piece of theatre, see it before it closes on 15th October...

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