Plays 4: Whistle in the Dark / A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant / On the Outside / On the Inside

by Tom Murphy

"The most distinctive, the most restless, the most obsessive imagination at work in the Irish theatre today" Brian Friel

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 1997

About the author

Tom Murphy (born 1935) is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. Born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, he currently lives in Dublin.

Reviews

[Luke Hosford · Rating 5 out of 5]

As was kind of pointed out in the intro, these three stories represent the troubled young man at a particular point in time in a particular place and can almost serve as historical record. It also helps that they're bloody good stories too, deeply deeply tragic, and without the consolation that existed towards the end of Conversations on a Homecoming. Whistle in the Dark is especially brutal and grim, throwing a shining light on some of the Irish emigrants' experience. Given how clearly it mirrors his own personal circumstances you really have to wonder how he had the courage to be that honest. The Grocer's Assistant is probably more suited to seeing on stage, as its heavy on the dream sequences, but still captures the frustration of living in a depopulating land, while still sensing a certain appeal to its familiarity. This latter aspect is what is more highlighted in On the Outside, as the deeply unappealing dance hall seems to be the only object of desire of our two trapped men. Highly recommend.