Dancing at Lughnasa – Royal Exchange Theatre

Writer Brian Friel is universally regarded as one of the leading figures in English language drama, a reputation which seems to grow with every passing year since he died in 2015. The style of his work, examining the transitional culture and politics in Irish society in the 20th Century, has drawn serious comparisons with Miller, Williams and especially Anton Chekhov. This Autumn, in a continuation of their recent return to form, the Royal Exchange has teamed up with The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield to produce a spellbinding production of ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’, Friel’s exploration of his memories of growing up in rural 1930s Ireland.

The comparisons of Friel with Chekhov are a serious one; both writers work is set in communities on the cusp of radical change from rural to industrial economies, they both utilise complex family relationships to examine the effects these wider societal changes have on both traditional structures and individuals. ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ gives the micro effect that these macro changes bring, wreaking quiet havoc and changing lives irrevocably.

Director Elizabeth Newman in her first outing as Artistic Director for Sheffield Theatres – confidently helms this production, translating Friel’s precise and often prescriptive stage directions into the difficult round space of the Royal Exchange. There were some initial issues with projection to an audience in the round during the first twenty minutes – having initially premiered in a thrust staging over the Pennines – meaning some of the early exposition was lost, the actors quickly adjusted to the space and their production grew in stature as the evening progressed.

Designer Francis O’Connor transformed the space around the perimeter of the theatre into a rural Irish scene, each of the walkways from the central stage leading out into cornfields, suffused with colour, resonant of a painting by Van Gogh with the vivid yellow and intense blue hues of his palette. A huge full moon overhangs the central circular stage and the backcountry exterior intrudes, with grasses and moss peeping out amongst the flagstones of the kitchen parlour hinting at the primaeval nature of a society coming to terms with modernity and civilisation.

This concept of the landscape mirrors the ideas behind the writing to excellent effect; this is a memory play with the character of Michael (Kwaku Fortune) looking back on his early life growing up in Ballybeg, a village in rural Donegal, with his mother Christina (Martha Dunlea) and her four sisters. His recollections are coloured by the innocence of childhood and mixed with the confusion and partial understanding of past events,

Fortune is onstage throughout acting as Narrator, but his childhood self is never seen, and the other actors speak to an unseen presence, a strikingly effective theatrical device in separating him from the onstage action. Each of the sisters are beautifully drawn; Maggie (Siobhan O’Kelly) the dynamic heart; Kate (Natalie Radmall-Quirke) the sober head; Agnes (Laura Pyper) pining and wistful; Rose (Rachel O’Connell) innocent and simple; Christina eternally disappointed and only blossoming when given the attentions of Gerry (Marcus Rutherford), unexpectedly returning to Ballybeg and his abandoned family.

However, each of these précis fails to do justice to the depth of the characters that Friel has devised; the wild abandon of the dance that erupts halfway through the first act hints at the true nature beneath the veneer, this freedom is heartbreaking to observe when juxtaposed against the fate revealed for the characters in later life. Much of the humour in this production comes from Uncle Jack (Frank Laverty), recently returned from Uganda, where his role as a missionary resulted in him being recalled in disgrace after ‘going native’ and adopting tribal religious practices. Friel uses the character to highlight the role of religion in remote rural Ireland amidst an increasingly secular wider society, the sparky dialogue between Lavery and Radmall-Quirke as Kate is a highlight as she bristles against his vulgar stories.

Following a superb production of ‘Faith Healer’ from David Thacker at The King’s Arms earlier this year, I was intrigued to see what this co-production would make of Friel’s most autobiographical work. This is a visually beguiling production of a wonderful piece of writing permeated with humour and pathos.

Reviewer: Paul Wilcox

Reviewed: 15th October 2025

North West End UK Rating: