Dancing at Lughnasa at the Irish Rep

The Irish Repertory theatre will present the 20th Anniversary production of Brian Friel's Tony Award-winning play Dancing at Lughnasa, opening at the Irish Rep on 30 Oct 2011, following previews from 20 Oct, and running through to 11 Dec 2011.

Directed by Charlotte Moore, the cast will feature Orlagh Cassidy, Kevin Collins, Michael Countryman, Annabel Hagg, Jo Kinsella, Aedin Moloney and Rachel Pickup.

Dancing at Lughnasa: Five unmarried sisters live in a modest cottage in Donegal. On the threshold of the autumn of 1936, the household revolves around the eight year old love-child, Michael, and the Mundy brother priest, Uncle Jack, recently returned from 25 years in a leper colony in Uganda. Ancient tribal customs and Christian beliefs clash as the autumnal fires celebrating the Harvest God, Lugh, bathe the landscape in golden light and distant music on the radio floats across the fields.

The production features set design by Antje Ellerman, costume design by Linda Fisher, lighting design by Richard Pilbrow and Michael Gottlieb, sound by M. Florian Staab and choreography by Barry McNabb.

Dancing at Lughnasa ran for more than 400 performances at Broadway's Plymouth Theatre (now called the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre), winning the 1992 Tony Award for Best Play. In 1998 the drama was adapted for film starring Meryl Streep.