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One of Friel's greatest plays presented by the Moat Club, Naas.

In Philadelphia, Here I Come! we revisit the small, Donegal town of Ballybeg, the setting for many of Friel's plays. It’s the 1960s and the narrow horizons and limited possibilities of Ballybeg have forced Gar O’Donnell – embodied by the dual personae of Gar Public and Gar Private – to consider emigration.

We meet Gar less than twenty-four hours before his departure, as he reviews the significant events which have contributed to his decision to leave Ballybeg.  His memories are selective – an idealisation of his glamorous mother, whom he never knew, is used as a protective mechanism against his unhappy relationship with an unemotional father; his passion for the beautiful Kate who has married someone else; the visit of his larger-than life Aunt Lizzie.

Much of the play’s strength and charm emerges in dialogue between Gar’s two selves – Gar Public, who the other characters see and talk to, is socially inept, while Gar Private is eloquent and bold.

Friel explores the cultural, social and political issues of the 1960s and their impact on the play’s characters. The themes of love, shattered dreams, authority and the nature of language emerge as the action moves from reality to memory to fantasy.

This funny and heart-warming and play stars Pat Callaghan as S.B. O’Donnell, Katie O’Connell as Kate Doogan, Barry Goodwin as Gar Public and Cian Mekitarian as Gar Private among a cast of talented Moat Club actors.

Philadelphia, Here I Come! runs from Wednesday 16th to Saturday 19th June at the Moat Theatre at 8pm nightly.  Tickets €15 (€12 concessions), available from the Moat Theatre box office on 045 883030 or on www.moattheare.com. Low price preview on Tuesday 15th June (tickets €10).

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