The Cripple of Inishmaan is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary Man of Aran.
Set on the small Aran Islands community of Inishmaan off the Western Coast of Ireland, circa 1934, the inhabitants are excited to learn of a Hollywood film crew's arrival in neighbouring Inishmore to make a documentary about life on the islands. "Cripple" Billy Claven, eager to escape the gossip, poverty and boredom of Inishmaan, vies for a part in the film, and to everyone's surprise, the orphan and outcast gets his chance.[1]
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The play
The Cripple of Inishmaan opened in 1997 at Royal National Theatre (Cottesloe) in London.[2] In 1998, it opened at Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York City, again with Ruaidhri Conroy in the title role.[3] In the same year, Frederick Koehler played Billy in Los Angeles. In December 2008, The Cripple of Inishmaan was produced in New York City by the Atlantic Theater Company in conjunction with The Druid Theatre Company of Galway, Ireland.
Characters
- Billy Claven, a crippled orphan
- Kate Osbourne, Billy's adoptive aunt who has been known to talk to stones
- Eileen Osbourne, Billy's other adoptive aunt and Kate's sister
- Johnnypateenmike, the town gossip
- Helen McCormick, a tough girl Billy has had a crush on for some time
- Bartley McCormick, Helen's brother
- Babbybobby Bennett, a boatman whose wife died of tuberculosis
- Doctor McSharry, the town doctor
- Mammy O'Dougal, Johnnypateenmike's alcoholic 90 year-old mother
Book
- McDonagh, Martin. The Cripple of Inishmaan. Methuen Modern Plays. 1997. (Hardcover) ISBN 0-413-71590-6
- McDonagh, Martin. The Cripple of Inishmaan. Vintage International. 1998. (Paperback) ISBN 0-375-70523-6
References
- ^ "The Cripple Of Inishmaan: A CurtainUp Review". http://www.curtainup.com/cripple.html. Retrieved 2006-05-09.
- ^ "National Theatre: Past Productions: 1996-2000". http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=8209. Retrieved 2006-05-09.
- ^ "The Public Theater: Past Productions: The Cripple of Inishmaan". http://www.publictheater.org/view.php?mode=eventdisplay&eventid=780&past=1&returnURL=%2Fcelebrating%2Fpast_view.php%3Fdecade%3D1990. Retrieved 2006-05-09.
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