Big Maggie

by John Brendan Keane

Easily one of the best plays of the last fifty years and arguably John B. Keane’s masterpiece.

Set in 1960s rural Ireland, Big Maggie is a compelling portrait of a woman who is determined to take control of her life following the death of her husband.

The story centres on Big Maggie Polpin and her attempts to keep her family together after the death of her husband is an enduring theatre favourite. The dialogue crackles with hilarious, caustic putdowns as the indomitable Maggie deals with her feckless family and unwanted suitors. Everyone wants a part of Big Maggie and her property but she has other ideas.

'fiendishly compelling' - The Irish Times

About John B. Keane: John B. Keane, one of Ireland's most prolific and respected literary figures, died on 30 May 2002 at the age of 73, after a long and difficult battle with cancer. John B. Keane was born in 1928 in Listowel, County Kerry and it was here that he spent his literary career, running a pub which provided him with inspiration for his characters and ideas.

His first play, Sive, was presented by the Listowel Drama Group and won the All-Ireland Drama Festival in 1959. It was followed by another success, Sharon's Grave, in 1960. The Field (1965) and Big Maggie (1969), are widely regarded as classics of the modern Irish stage and jewels in a crown which includes such popular hits as Many Young Men of Twenty, The Man from Clare, Moll, The Chastitute and The Year of the Hiker. His large canon of plays have been seen abroad in cities as far afield as Moscow and Los Angeles. Big Maggie ran on Broadway for over two months in 1982 and The Field was adapted into an Oscar-winning Hollywood film, starring Brenda Fricker and Richard Harris, in 1991.

But it was not just in his plays that John B. Keane managed to portray all aspects of humanity with both wit and truth. He also wrote many fine novels, including The Contractors, A High Meadow and Durango. Durango was adapted for the big screen, starring Brenda Fricker and Patrick Bergin. A writer of essays, short stories and letters, his humorous words live on in Celebrated Letters of John B. Keane, More Celebrated Letters, The Best of John B. Keane and The Short Stories of John B. Keane. In 1987 John B. Keane received a special award for his enduring place in Irish life and letters from the Sunday Independent/Irish Life. In that year he also won a Sunday Tribune Arts Award and in 1988 he was chosen as the recipient of the Irish-American Fund Award for Literature. In 1999 he was presented with a Gradam medal, the Abbey Theatre's highest award.

He was a member of Aosdana and the recipient of honorary doctorates from Trinity College, Dublin, Limerick University and Marymount College, New York. John B. Keane remains one of Mercier's best-loved and best-selling authors.

Genres: Plays, Irish Literature, School, Ireland, Drama

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1969

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Big Maggie is the cooling story of Irish society, family and femininity told through authentic scenes of darkly comedic drama..." This line from the introduction to the notes to the play pretty much summarizes Big Maggie.

It is a brief, yet quintessential reflection of the Irish society of that time. And in some ways (for better or worse) still relevant to this day.
The ways of living, family matters, love and life, inheritance, dominance, women's roles... in the neat space of just over 80 pages Keane managed to raise quite a lot of issues. And, if not to resolve them, at least find their reflection in dark and witty manner.
I enjoyed this play. Although it was a bit too brief for my liking. I would've like some more development and a bit more of the character insight. I suppose, I just wanted it to be a bit more to prolong the enjoyment of the reading.

[Eimear · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're a right old cow Maggie.

[Maria Lela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes

[David Hollywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an abrasively direct character cannot but gain your riveted attentions to what she shall say and do next. Maggie has to be on of the most combative and self assertive female characters to appear in Irish theatre, as she overwhelms everyone within her range, and vision. A comic, confrontational and totally uncompromising portrayal of a woman who shall unhesitatingly ensure she and her family face what's true, and therefore only do what's right, or else pay the penalty, at their own expense and regret. Great script and theatre.

[Fiadh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediocre feminist play, written by a man, set in the 60s in ireland and just woefully uninteresting. I understand that given the time, to write about feminism and sexuality in such a context was outrageous and that it carried such a heavy social reformation, but still, it's just quite boring.

[Susan Ojoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

[elena💗💕💝💖 · Rating 3 out of 5]

que mal lo pasaba en las clases de inglés con el libro este

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through the book I was really starting to get into it and then it abruptly ended. Turns out the rest of the book was notes on the play. Shame because I thought it was building to something more than it did.

[Bookworm with Kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Maggie Poplin wants the best for her children but her controlling nature drives them all away. This was a very controversial play when it was first performed in the 1960s. It is now deservedly a classic.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

First reading: read this for school purposes but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. Maggie’s character is so complex - she’s a woman I just loved to hate. It was very concise and to the point and I look forward to rereading this in the near future