Dancing at Lughnasa

by Brian Friel

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.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Irish Literature, Fiction, Ireland, Theatre, Classics

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Brian Friel is a playwright and, more recently, director of his own works from Ireland who now resides in County Donegal.

Friel was born in Omagh County Tyrone, the son of Patrick "Paddy" Friel, a primary school teacher and later a borough councillor in Derry, and Mary McLoone, postmistress of Glenties, County Donegal (Ulf Dantanus provides the most detail regarding Friel's parents and grandparents, see Books below). He received his education at St. Columb's College in Derry and the seminary at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (1945-48) from which he received his B.A., then he received his teacher's training at St. Mary's Training College in Belfast, 1949-50. He married Anne Morrison in 1954, with whom he has four daughters and one son; they remain married. From 1950 until 1960, he worked as a Maths teacher in the Derry primary and intermediate school system, until taking leave in 1960 to live off his savings and pursue a career as writer. In 1966, the Friels moved from 13 Malborough Street, Derry to Muff, County Donegal, eventually settling outside Greencastle, County Donegal.

He was appointed to the Irish Senate in 1987 and served through 1989. In 1989, BBC Radio launched a "Brian Friel Season", a series devoted a six-play season to his work, the first living playwright to be so distinguished. In 1999 (April-August), Friel's 70th birthday was celebrated in Dublin with the Friel Festival during which ten of his plays were staged or presented as dramatic readings throughout Dublin; in conjunction with the festival were a conference, National Library exhibition, film screenings, outreach programs, pre-show talks, and the launching of a special issue of The Irish University Review devoted to the playwright; in 1999, he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Times.

On 22 January 2006 Friel was presented with a gold Torc by President Mary McAleese in recognition of the fact that the members of Aosdána have elected him a Saoi. Only five members of Aosdána can hold this honour at any one time and Friel joined fellow Saoithe Louis leBrocquy, Benedict Kiely (d. 2007), Seamus Heaney and Anthony Cronin. On acceptance of the gold Torc, Friel quipped, "I knew that being made a Saoi, really getting this award, is extreme unction; it is a final anointment--Aosdana's last rites."

In November 2008, Queen's University of Belfast announced its intention to build a new theatre complex and research center to be named The Brian Friel Theatre and Centre for Theatre Research.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet melancholy. I saw the film based on this play when it came out and loved it.

Here's a clip, but see the whole film!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anzEZ...

But I read Amalia's review and ordered it to finally read it. It's the story of five sisters living in County Donegal in 1936. The eldest, Kate, 40, is a teacher, the acting matriarch trying to maintain religious and social order. Maggie is 38, and she's a bit wilder, or would be if she could; none of the women are married, and only one of them brings home much money. They might have liked to marry and have children, but it doesn't seem to have been in the cards for any of them, and they feel they are getting older, less "marriageable." Agnes (35) and Rose (32) knit and sell some of their work but can't make much money; Agnes takes care of Rose, who is described as "simple," though it is Rose who seems to have a suitor, though her sisters worry she may be taken advantage of.

Chris (26) is the mother of 7-year-old Michael who narrates this tale as an adult. She is visited by Michael's father a couple times, which causes much anguish and consternation, especially for Chris. Brother Jack is home now from the mission field in Uganda, but he seems confused, troubled, and no longer fit to be a priest, having "gone native" in some ways, embracing the pagan traditions he experienced there for decades.

The women have a highly undependable radio that sometimes moves them to dance with each other, but Kate puts the kibosh on (decides against) their all going to the (pagan, Celtic) harvest celebration of Lughnasa, though as Maggie says with a little leer, "I'm game!" So they dance a bit, and when Gerry comes to visit Chris they dance outside, and they all watch from the windows. Father Jack talks of the pagan dances in Uganda, and describes them, to Kate's disdain. And so there is this clash of pagan and Christian traditions, of Dionysian vs. Apollonian approaches to life. The play opens with the cast in tableau, and in the end they are also frozen in place, though not quite, as they sway slightly and gently to music that plays. Powerful, anguishing!

Michael tells of his African experience: “Dancing as if language had surrendered to movement--as if this ritual, this wordless ceremony, was now the way to speak, to whisper private and sacred things, to be in touch with some otherness. Dancing as if the very heart of life and all its hopes might be found in those assuaging notes and those hushed rhythms and in those silent and hypnotic movements. Dancing as if language no longer existed because words were no longer necessary."

A lovely, lovely play, and a terrific movie; sad, as these women are lonely and poor (in 1936, when the world was poor), and they are limited in some ways because of religion and gender at this time, but they are also funny and wonderful, women who live with and love each other, women to be celebrated.

PS: There's an interesting undercurrent of desire moving through the play, that ache for love. Father Jack urges them to return to Uganda with them. Maggie asks if he will find husbands then for all of them, and Jack says, "One husband for all of you, " as the the tribe near him engaged in polygamy. This is not what the women are looking for, but when Gerry comes in and dances with Chris, and then Abby, we/they all watch them, and we wonder about Gerry as the possible "group husband" for a few moments. But no, it will not and never will happen. Kate would not allow it! Just an example of the layering of themes in the text.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason for me picking up and reading Dancing at Lughnasa today was the finale to a few months of me saying "I need to read some work by Friel". I have been aware of Friel for a long time yet somehow I never came across an apt opportunity to read him, which accompanies my mission to read all of the Irish literary giants. Also, I felt somewhat uneducated and embarrassed not knowing his work when his death occurred a few months ago. Alas, this was all solved by my need to kill a few hours at University today, and with no book with me and no desire continue the research I was doing, I went to the bookshop. It was here I found it, spotting the pink cover, and subsequently made the leap of spending eleven euro for seventy pages of ink and paper. It was worth it.

Friel's depictions of life and culture is very accurate, not only touching on some of the more idiosyncratic traditions of rural Ireland but also gives insight into the more troubling ideals of the time. The images of the sisters dancing, brought to life by Friel's masterful writing, is moving, vivid and light. He creates a feeling of place such that it expands beyond the restrictions of the stage. You also see the small rural community on the grassy hills of Donegal. There is sparkle and warm feeling to the play, although this is not always the case. Periods of conflict are countered by spontaneous bouts of dancing and glee. Even with the scenes of clear enjoyment, the five sisters are close, caring, yet troubled by many explored and unmentioned thoughts. Having an interest in all things Celtic, I also thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of both Christianity and Paganism.

Above all, it feels real. That is what I most love about it.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** Edited on 10-2-18, due to missing content that disappeared when I posted my review. I rewrote partial sentences to the best of my memory.

----------------------------------------------------

I read this wonderful play in one sitting, today, before going to the theatre tonight to see the performance with a friend. I had seen it performed once before, but after 20+ years, needed a refresher.

Reading through the excellent script was enticing... imagining the characters, and how each actor would portray a character distinctly. The personalities of the Mundy family are all unique, from strict-and-staid but very caring Kate, to quiet Agnes who has a wild streak regarding dancing; from irrepressible Maggie with her riddles (and high spirited optimism blended with painful sadness) to strong Christina, balancing the burdens of single motherhood with hope. There is special Rose, romantic and misguided, and Father Jack, their missionary brother returned from decades in Africa, dealing with his own personal challenges. There is Jerry, the father of Christina's child, and the mystery of his sudden appearances and departures.

The play itself is bittersweet, some would say nostalgic. In my twenties, I viewed the play more lightly, enjoying the 1930s setting in County Donegal, Ireland, and the complicated family dynamics, through the lens of a younger woman. In my fifties, I now think the tone is stronger than that: immense sadness coupled with occasional humor, and brief bursts of pure joyfulness.

As an educator, when teaching beginning readers, perhaps the most important facet to me after basic skills were in place, was teaching the reader to make a connection to the text. Look for the thing that draws you into the story and focus on that. We are all changed by reading something that we truly enjoy. There are many, many things in this script to admire, but I do believe that every reader will find her or his own connection to it in a unique way.

For those interested: The evening performance took place at Everyman Theater, in Baltimore, Maryland. The staging was magnificent- realistic down to every detail. Costumes were period appropriate, but subtle: they did not take away from our focus on the characters' trials and tribulations. The acting was sublime! Riveting, with perfect pacing that kept us very engaged, even during heavily-emotional scenes. Scenes with singing, and especially the main dancing scene, were bursting with energy and talent. My heart soared with the sisters! Christina's son, the character Michael - now a grown man - narrated the events of his past with a combination of wisdom and grief, showing us his memories as the story unfolded onstage. I definitely recommend this current performance in my hometown.

Even more, I recommend reading this incredible play, and finding your own personal connection to it.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather melancholy look at the passing of a way of life through a single family. Even Father Jack can be seen as the symbol of the waning of the priests' authority with his heretical beliefs. And perhaps Gerry Evans could be a metaphor of British interest in Ireland -- he comes and flirts and dazzles some of them but in the end, he marries a nice Welsh girl leaving his bastard son in Ireland to make his way on his own.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator gives the audience glimpses of a bleak future amid the jovial action of the present, heightening its poignant, nostalgic feeling.

From the Observer:
"The play proves inexhaustibly enjoyable...chiefly because it holds the history of a nation in a burning glow of reminiscence, in the aftermath of Catholic imperialism before the loss of joy and identity in the urban diaspora."

[Pooya Kiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

سقوط امپراتوری خاک‌ بر سرها.
یک نمایشنامه‌ی فوق‌العاده. پر از فرصت و پر از ایده‌.
پرداخت، کنش‌ها، کوریوگرافی، توضیحات صحنه، همه‌چیز عالی بود.
از اون متن‌های زاینده که اگر قبل از خوندن، اجراش رو ببینی، محو تماشا فراموش می‌کنی آب دهنت رو قورت بدی.
ترجمه خوب بود. نقص که داشت، اما چیزی از دست نرفته‌بود.

[Javier Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like their unreliable Marconi radio, the dance of life for the Mundy sisters is full of Fits and starts. For them, what is at moments heartwarming turns to heartbreak in a hurry. Sadly, when their Marconi dies altogether, their musicless dance slows to a gentle numbed sway of resignment that wordlessly says it all. Brian Friel has somehow given melancholia a strangely beautiful aura. I left this play in a hypnotic state of wonder, dazed by a feeling of being immersed in a calming fog of sorrow.

[Hasti Amirian · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I summarize my interpretation toward this play, I'd say "Dreamlike".

& my favourite part:
"When I remember it, I think of it as dancing. Dancing as if language no longer existed because words were no longer necessary."

[Rory Quist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. It's utterly delightful day-to-day dialogue, is used as pointless mask to something much darker. Language is light, fun, yet meaningless, while the art of dance is cruel, animalistic, yet all the more isolating due to its own shortcomings in breaching the border of true human connection.

[Xela · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3,5/5]

« Pour moi, ce souvenir c'est comme danser. Danser avec les yeux miclos car les ouvrir serait rompre le charme. Danser comme si la parole avait rendu les armes au mouvement. Comme si ce rituel, cette cérémonie muette était le langage nouveau, propre à murmurer des choses intimes et sacrées, à communiquer avec je ne sais quel ailleurs.Danser comme si le cœur même de la vie et toutes ses espérances étaient contenues dans ces notes apaisantes et ces rythmes chuchotés,ces mouvements silencieux et hypnotiques.
Danser comme si la parole n'existait plus parce que les mots sont
devenus inutiles. »

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple, short and moving play. The five Mundy sisters are shown on two days three weeks apart, with a narrative about their life afterwards. They irritate each other, misunderstand each other, chide each other and love each other, through lifes trials and disappointments - but life slowly drags them down.

Read July 2014, and July 15

[Jade Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting and beautiful story.

[Noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nodigt zich veel meer uit voor diepere analyse dan de andere twee stukken

[Javi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.

Wanted to read it after seeing a new staging in Dublin.

Poignant.

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We may pack it in sisters!

[Portia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first encounter with Dancing at Lughnasa was a performance at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.. The cast was lead by the incomparable Tana Hicken as Kate. How we audience members remained in our seats during the dance scene still amazes me.

Of course, plays are meant to be seen. The term, "first reading," refers to a groups of actors seated together reading the play aloud.

Still, reading the words of a playwrite alone, following the stage directions, checking the props list, learning how the playwrite describes each character, and, best of all, getting to play all the parts, is a pleasure.

Fried has give us a moment in time when the hard-fought battle between Christianity and Paganism is stirring again. This time, the ancient desire to dance, to break out from a carefully regulated life, The Magic that lives in the ether, that will one day become first the Ethernet and then the Internet, comes into the house in the body of a small, not-always-reliable little box called a radio.

By the end of the play, the spirits have flown.

[Dana Sweeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Irish memory play principally about five unmarried sisters who live together in the north of Ireland during the mid-1930s. It is a story haunted by empire and by the precarious survival of independent women as Ireland’s industrial base is built. It is gutting to watch the sisters attempting to hold on to hope, joy, whimsy, and carefree moments against what amounts to pre-ordained disaster.

This is a beautiful play on the stage, but I give it 3 stars for being much less thrilling on the page (and this is, after all, a reading review). It still gives me heartache, though.

(First encountered this play in a brilliant stage production at the Cloverdale Playhouse in Montgomery, Alabama. 2019).

[Hope Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I enjoyed this play. The Mundy sisters are lowkey iconic and Friel truly popped off with Gerry. The movie adaptation did not do this justice, however to this day, father jack still scares me. Would 9/10 recommend, as it’s essentially an Irish ‘of mice and men’

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting play that deals with Irish roots and changes through the actions of one family. I would like to see this on stage one day.

[Eilidh Fyfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

just kind of want to lie down and gently weep that sort of thing

[Elsa]

No rating (neutral opinion)
- Not sure why this is an A Level set text, nor why it costs £10 (it's literally 70 pages long)
- I think they might've put a photo of Churchill on the back cover by mistake?
- Memory play -> narrator gives more context which is nice
- Not the most interesting/entertaining but it was fine, quick and accessible read
- Gives a good insight into the living/working conditions of the lower/working class during the 90s in Ireland

[Jordan Muschler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterpiece! One of those plays where nothing and yet everything happens, and it works because every character is rendered so specifically. Would be such fun to stage with all of its dancing, sibling conflict, and spirit. Want to see it someday soon!! Please!

[Aimee Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love wild women dancing. Loved the dramatic structure of this play. Explores themes and tones I love: girl/sisterhood, Irishness, family, desire versus responsibility, looking back on the past knowing what is to come. Reflective and leaves a lot unsaid.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading something from a production a ran lightboard on 15 years ago! Amazing how much I still remembered. The story reads on the page fairly well, although, I’m not sure how much of that is due to my memory of the production.

[Miki]

Not the best play I've read this year, but still a fun ride:)

[Saray · Rating 1 out of 5]

there was only something happening on like 5 pages

[Isa Fitzgibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never did I think a stage direction would be one of the most beautiful lines I have ever read. Highly recommend dancing through the garden with the Mundy girls.

[Elizabeth Valadez · Rating 5 out of 5]

very quick read. very good read. much better imo than friel’s translations. i just love stories about sisters. add to that religion, children out of wedlock, lughnasa. and suddenly you have 70 captivating pages

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful “day in the life” (though the play stretches over some weeks) look at a family that cannot survive the transition of their lives from the traditional to the modern.

[Emily Lagace · Rating 5 out of 5]

New fave Irish play