Editorial Review
It is 1936 and harvest time in County Donegal. In a house just outside the village of Ballybeg live the five Mundy sisters, barely making ends meet, their ages ranging from twenty-six up to forty. The two male members of the household are brother Jack, a missionary priest, repatriated from Africa by his superiors after twenty-five years, and the seven-year-old child of the youngest sister. In depicting two days in the life of this menage, Brian Friel evokes not simply the interior landscape of a group of human beings trapped in their domestic situation, but the wider landscape, interior and exterior, Christian and pagan, of which they are nonetheless a part.
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Customer Reviews
verry good 
2005-09-03
It was in verry good shape, and the shipping time was OK.
"Dancing...the very heart of life and all its hopes." 2004-09-29
Set in Donegal in 1936, during Ireland's change from an agrarian to a more industrial economy, Brian Friel's haunting ensemble drama of five sisters and their priest brother reveals the economic, social, and religious pressures in the rural community of Ballybeg on the eve of the harvest festival of Lughnasa. Forty-ish Kate, who sees herself "in charge," is the only real wage earner in the family. Rigid, severe, and completely lacking in humor, she believes pagan celebrations, such as Lughnasa, which provide fun and enjoyment in the countryside, are "uncivilized." Her brother Jack, the priest, however, on furlough from his missionary work in Uganda, is now virtually a pagan himself. His work has shown him the need of the poor for happiness, dancing, and community celebration, even if it is not church-sanctioned.
The other Mundy sisters help illustrate the ironic chasm between Kate's attitudes and those of Fr. Jack. Maggie, the fun-loving, free-spirited, and most humorous of the sisters, constantly bursts into song and dance and longs to go to the town dance. Christina feels no shame whatever about her love-child and thoroughly enjoys the summer visit of his father, Gerry Evans, with whom she dances spontaneously. Aggie and Rose, who earn small wages knitting gloves, work tirelessly as the family's sad, "unpaid servants," constantly chafing against Kate's imposition of her own values on them. When the local priest fails to rehire Kate because of Fr. Jack's apparent paganism, the family is devastated, but it is at that moment that they recognize the need to celebrate life itself.
The narrator is Michael, Christina's love-child, now in his fifties, who sets the scene and comments on the action throughout. Though Michael himself participates in the action as a child, the child is invisible to the audience. The characters speak to him as if he were real, and the adult Michael responds, but to the actors on stage, it is the narrator who is invisible. The message of the play is far stronger here than that of its film version, starring Meryl Streep. In the play Kate is more hostile, and the fates of Aggie and Rose are revealed early, not withheld till the end. Fr. Jack's paganism is not regarded as a mental aberration in the play, and the "clan of the round collar" is opened to scrutiny. The play, though dark, is ultimately a joyful celebration of life itself, a life not bound by organized religion. Mary Whipple
interesting 
2003-11-18
This is the story of the summer of 1936 and a family of a poor irish family making there way through it. Michael is the main character/ narrator of the work and the play is really his memory of that summer.
The story centers around five sisters, Michael, Michael's father, Gerry and their recently returned brother, father Jack. The play begins as Jack returns from spending 25 years in Africa. Soon after his return Michael's father, Gerry returns unexpectedly. The play then proceeds to play off the idea of paganism and christainity through a number of characters and situations.
Not horribly long at about 70 or so pages it is an interesting story. Though reading it isn't the same as seeing it preformed. So many things are visual and reading the lengthy descriptions of scene set ups can be tiresome it's worth it to get to the great scenes and dialogue. The recent movie by the same name was a great intrepretation of the play but it was just that an intrepretation. So many great scenes were left out. To get the full experience read the play.
A Hidden Treasure 
2003-09-11
A few years ago, my drama instructor suggested that this play should be performed. No one had ever heard of it before, but after listening to a brief summary, everyone was practicing their Irish accents. Through sheer luck, I was cast in the play (as Christina)and today I still cannot put the script down, it is that good. The cast size and setting is extremely small, which in this is case works really well because each character is so complex that any additional clutter would take away from the overall experience. But even if not seen performed, the script is great on its own. Although the plot is almost depressing, Friel mixes enough subtle humor and wit that the play does not loose any of its energy. This is a play that really should be made known to many more people.
Short and Sweet 2002-12-21
I had to read this for a theatre class, and it turns out that I loved it. It's a glimpse into a life we wouldn't normally know, and Brian Freil gives us the opportunity to embrace these characters. If you're looking to deepen the meaning of your life, start with learning and experience something new. Try this.
A great play 2002-05-22
It is 1936 and harvest time in County Donegal. In a house just outside the village of Ballybeg live the five Mundy sisters, barely making ends meet, their ages ranging from twenty-six up to forty. The two male members of the household are brother Jack, a missionary priest, repatriated from Africa by his superiors after twenty-five years, and the seven-year-old child of the youngest sister. In depicting two days in the life of this menage, Brian Friel evokes not simply the interior landscape of a group of human beings trapped in their domestic situation, but the wider landscape, interior and exterior, Christian and pagan, of which they are nonetheless a part.
A simple review 1998-12-20
This play is based in the small town of Ballybeg. A small town where the people have small, closed off minds. Life is hard back then, as the adult Michael comments the industrial revolution only comes to Ballybeg at the end of the play, and this is te 30's and Ireland is going through an economic depression.. This is the story of the 5 Mundy sisters, Kate, Agnes, Maggie, Christina and Rose. All with different, totally unique personalities. Also in the family are Father Jack, who has returned from African missionaries who has become "sick" and nativeised and the illegitimate son os Christina. The father is Gerry, an irresponsible, charming man from Wales. The play follows their lives through the month of August (Lughnasa = the irish word for August, coming from "Lugh" the pagan god of the old irish). I thought this was a very good book, nothing seems to happen, yet everything changes irrevocably. It is a page turner, I was warped into the world of the Mundys, so different to my own. Emotions, feelings and fears are woven into this masterpiece of Irish literature.The best part of the play for me, was the ending. Absolutely brilliant.
A beautiful play of Irish culture and family dynamics 1998-11-06
I was recently in Ireland and heard about Friel, an Irish native, and his powerful work. When I returned, I ordered Dancing at Lughnasa and didn't put it down until the last scene was complete. This is a riveting story of the family dynamic among five sisters and the men in their lives. Beautifully written I could hear each voice, each accent!, could see the sisters as they knitted in the kitchen and danced in the garden. One of the most interesting techniques Friel uses is the non-existant son of one of the sisters. His words are mouthed by the narrator and I'd be interested to know how it fleshes out on stage, but it is wonderfully done here. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in theatre, Irish culture, or good reads.
