The Aran Islands is a compelling adaptation by Joe O’Byrne of John Millington Synge’s classic work. In 1898, upon the advice of W.B. Yeats, Synge went to live among the islanders to “express a life that has never found expression.’’ In this grey, sea-battered landscape, full of mist and wild rain, hearth is home and storytellers regale with tales by the fire; here Synge found inspiration for many later works including The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea. Brendan Conroy, one of Ireland’s finest actors, captures the spirit of Synge and of this bleakly primitive, mystical land on the West Coast of Europe. In the great history of Irish storytelling, The Aran Islands is a haunting and transporting experience built around an incredible performance.

CREATIVE TEAM:

set design: Margaret Nolan
costumes: Marie Tierney
lighting design: Joe O’Byrne
original music: Kieran Duddy
stage manager: Michael Palmer