From Galway to Broadway and Back Again

Druid’s 35th birthday celebration took a look back at some of our most memorable productions from down through the years and also presented an excerpt from Enda Walsh’s new play, Penelope, read by the author himself.16 of Ireland’s leading actors joined us to celebrate the writing of eight playwrights.

Excerpts from the following plays were performed:

The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh
Sive by John B. Keane
The Year of the Hiker by John B. Keane
Lover’s Meeting by Louis D’Alton
At the Black Pig’s Dyke by Vincent Woods
The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh
The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh
My Brilliant Divorce by Geraldine Aron
Same Old Moon by Geraldine Aron
The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh
Penelope by Enda Walsh
Conversations on a Homecoming by Tom Murphy (Audience choice)
Bailegangaire by Tom Murphy
The Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge

Earlier in the year we invited members of the public to vote for the production they would most like to see performed as part of the celebrations. We received a phenomenal response and the overall winner was Conversations on a Homecoming by Tom Murphy. This production received its world premiere by Druid in 1985 when Tom Murphy was writer-in-residence with the company. We were were delighted that Tom was able to join us for the weekend to celebrate our 35th.

As well as celebrating our 35th birthday, this event helped to raise funds
for our Education Outreach and New Writing programmes. Thank you to everyone for supporting this event.

Druid gratefully acknowledges the assistance and support of the many people who helped to make our 35th birthday celebrations such a huge success; John Foley and Lisa Sheridan at Bite! Associates; John Ryan and all at the Ardilaun Hotel; Matt Skeffington of Artisan Restaurant; Jimmy McGuire and all at Tigh Neachtain; Anne Clarke; Alex Fernie; Blacklight; the Town Hall Theatre staff and everyone else who worked so hard to help make the celebrations such a success.