The Shaughraun

by Dion Boucicault

Excerpt from The Shaughraun

Robert ffolliott. — Dark blue pilot coat and trousers — black glazed sailor's hat — long gray ulster. Father dolan.-plain black clerical frock (no collar) — black knee breeches and gaiters — cassock broad-brimmed hat, and cane.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Ireland, Irish Literature

39 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1889

About the author

Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (26 December 1820 -18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the English-speaking theatre.

Reviews

[Mary Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wildly diverting and delightful read. Think The Scarlet Pimpernel, but wittier and funnier. Read for "Literature of Modern Ireland" graduate class at NYU.

[Canaan Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I might need a little more context for this Boucicault guy. I suppose reader’s theater never gives you a truly accurate experience of a play anyways. This might just be a pretty fun adventure with some brave heroes and one-dimensional, malice-loving villains, but it certainly fails to impress with just the words on the page.

[aimee!]

This might be doomed yaoi

[Martin Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written about 150 years ago, The Shaughraun takes place in a small town in Ireland called Suil-a-beg, where a remarkably convoluted tale unfolds. It centers around Robert Ffolliott, a young Irish gentleman who sometime before the play begins was framed as a Fenian and sent to prison in Australia. His sister, Claire, and her friend, Arte O'Neal, have been victimized by the evil Corry Kinchela during Robert's absence; they are just a few weeks away from losing their home to Kinchela, and Arte--in love with Robert--is being wooed by Kinchela as well.

As the play commences, Claire meets and falls in love at first sight with a noble British captain, Harry Molineux, who has arrived in this remote Irish locale with his regiment to track down an escaped convict, who (of course) turns out to be Robert. It must be noted that Molineux falls in love with Claire in even more head-over-heels fashion that she with him.

Conn, the village Shaughraun ("the soul of every fair, the life of every funeral"--in short, the kind of fellow that everyone wants to know but that few would trust their daughters or their property with), has helped Robert with his escape and now conspires with Claire, Arte, and Robert's guardian Father Dolan to keep Robert away from the clutches of Molineux and his men. When Kinchela and his henchman Harvey Duff find out what's afoot, they get into the fray as well.

There are chase scenes, secret meetings, faked deaths, double-crosses, and a hilarious Irish wake (Boucicault is liberal with his satire of his fellow Irish). And through it all, there's the forbidden love between Claire and her arch-enemy, the English soldier Molineux--a love, of course, whose eventual happy outcome is never for one second in doubt. The Shaughraun is that kind of play.

[Owen Peak · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely more lighthearted than The Octoroon. The elaborate practicality of the set descriptions and the songs made the reading of the play feel lacking slightly since many of these elements need to be seen performed. Much of the humour was funny (despite the character of Molineaux being pretty insufferable- which I guess is the point!) however I wished the characters were more defined. The notion of Conn, the Shaughraun, was fascinating but his being a travelling vagabond could’ve been explored more. Also Conn and Moya, Robert and Arte, and Clare and Molineaux’s relationships all felt slightly too convenient and made this feel like a Shakespearean comedy (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but less impressive compared to nuance present in the Octoroon). Yet since I recently watched The Banshees of Inisherin, the setting and vibes of the play felt very familiar to me which was pleasant.

[David Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read. Although officially a melodrama I found it a very produceable play. There are a lot of scene changes but modern staging could easily handle that. In fact, I see that it has been produced a few times at the Abbey Theatre in recent times. That's something I would like to have seen!

[Simon Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

More likable characters than 'Colleen of Bawn' but less likable plot. It had the same issues tbh, same stock characters with the same happily ever after that seemed unrealistic and unsatisfying. He'll be fun to rip apart in an essay tho.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire u better work girl…okkk subverting the stage irishmannnn

[Zan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was assigned reading for my Irish Writing in English course. I had never encountered this play or playwright before, but I really enjoyed this play and thought I'd share.

The play is about Robert Ffolliott, fiance of Arte O'Neil. He has returned to Ireland after escaping from Australia, his sentence for supposed involvement in the Fenian movement. However, we realize he's not really guilty, but has been the dupe of Kinchela who wanted his land and his bride-to-be. Kinchela tries to catch Robert and deport him again and the melodrama ensues. Robert escapes various sticky situations with the help of Conn the Shaughraun (hilarious stuff, really. I love Conn). Robert's sister, Claire Ffolliot, is in love with an English soldier, Captain Molineaux, who is tracking down Fenians in the area. So there's that added complexity to the plot.

It is a somewhat predictable melodrama, but perhaps it's because of plays like this that we have a concept of the predictable; it was written before it became overly formulaic.

Anyway, I love the romance between Claire and Molineaux as a funny commentary on the Irish/English relations at the time. There is also a decently accurate context surrounding the play as Robert is imprisoned for his involvement in the Fenian movement, Conn is illiterate, the clergy's home is a center for the political and social meetings, etc. However, don't get the wrong idea; this is just a romp as far as the plot is concerned.

I admit that at the end of Act 3 I had goosebumps when I thought the play had taken a serious turn. It was actually quite beautiful.

Oh, and I loved the "Tableau of the Irish Wake" in Act 4. Grand.

I would love to see this play staged. I feel like I should leave you with LaVar Burton's words of wisdom: "But you don't take my word for it."

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not particularly enjoy this, hard to follow and melodramatic (by design, though)