A big Hollywood production is coming…no, not Star Wars – this is the storyline to Martin McDonagh’s brilliant comedy drama The Cripple of Inishmaan which comes to An Grianán Theatre on Sat 9 April.
Set in 1934, on the remote island of Inishmaan off the west coast of Ireland, there is great excitement when news arrives that a Hollywood film is being made on the neighbouring island of Inishmore. The one person who wants to be in the film more than anybody is young Cripple Billy, if only to break away from the bitter tedium of his daily life.
The Cripple Of Inishmaan examines an ordinary coming of age in extraordinary circumstances and shows once more that playwright Martin McDonagh is master of the deepest, darkest and most powerful humour.
First produced in 1996, The Cripple of Inishmaan quickly became a modern Irish classic and was previously presented at An Grianán by Druid Theatre with Aaron Monaghan as Cripple Billy. More recently it enjoyed West End and Broadway success with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe as Billy.
Like The Pillowman, another McDonagh hit which will be coming to An Grianán in the autumn, The Cripple of Inishmaan is a play about stories and storytelling. An acknowledged comic masterpiece, it is full of wonderful dialogue, memorable characters, and many surprises that will keep audiences in suspense to the end.
Born in London, to Irish parents, Martin McDonagh has achieved considerable acclaim as a playwright, screenwriter and film director. His films include the Oscar winning short Six Shooter and the BAFTA winning, Oscar nominated comedy In Bruges. His most famous play is The Beauty Queen of Leenane, a multi-Tony award winning hit which was part of the renowned Leenane Trilogy with A Skull in Connemara and The Lonesome West.
This production comes from Northern Irish company Bardic Theatre who are making their first visit to An Grianán. Over the last 30 years, Bardic Theatre has become widely recognised as a professional community theatre, not only for its top quality professional productions which have nurtured a ream of household theatre & show-biz names, but mostly for its ground-breaking community impact in Mid Ulster.
