Main Pic: The late, great playwright Brian Friel. Credit: Bobbie Hanvey
Glenties is preparing to host a very special performance of the renowned “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
This performance is part of “FrielDays,” a month-long celebration dedicated to the legendary playwright Brian Friel.
Throughout August, Donegal and Derry will showcase 35 performances of Friel’s plays, commencing with a unique interpretation of “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
The classic play will receive a stirring and experimental production in Glenties, the very village where Friel is buried and where his mother and aunts lived. These women served as the inspiration for the iconic Mundy sisters.
Appropriately, the performances will coincide with Lughnasa itself, starting with a preview on Friday, August 1st, followed by the official opening night on August 2nd.
Friel’s original play unfolds in The Laurels’ kitchen, with Kate, the eldest Mundy sister, working as a school teacher. This innovative “FrielDays” production invites audiences to witness a reimagining of the lives of these 1930s rural Irish women, uniquely staged in the canteen of St. Columba’s School. Seated in the traverse, the audience will be immersed in the setting, effectively becoming the walls of The Laurels house, eavesdropping on the five Mundy sisters. During the interval, guests can even participate in a guided walk to The Laurels homestead, which is currently undergoing a restoration project.
Dylan Quinn, the choreographer of the upcoming Dancing at Lughnasa performance.
Directed by Jonathan Burgess and choreographed by Dylan Quinn, this unique “Dancing at Lughnasa” production will break new ground by casting several actors of color in Friel’s work for the first time in Ireland and the UK. Notable performances include Kay Bridgeman as Kate, Evlyne Oyedokun as Maggie, and Darren Kuppan as Gerry.
The experimental production also features Northern Irish actor Jayne Wisener (known for her role alongside Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd”) as Agnes, UK actor Lily O’Regan as Chris, and NI actor Ruby Campbell (from “Stumbling” and “The Dissenter”) as Rose. The multi-cultural cast will deliver their roles in their native accents, adding an exciting and authentic dimension to the portrayal of these complex characters.
The distinctive Marconi radio of “Dancing at Lughnasa” will come alive with an original new piece created by set designer Jon Kelly, bringing the outside world to Glenties through a newly commissioned electro-acoustic sound score by Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) composer John D’Arcy (DJ Marconi).
Sean Doran and Liam Browne of Arts Over Borders, who are producing the FrielDays performances.
Speaking ahead of the opening night, FrielDays co-creator, Sean Doran of DoranBrowne, said:
“We are thrilled to finally begin this ambitious five-year odyssey of FrielDays – A Homecoming 2025-2029 on the first day of Lughnasa, August 1st, and in Glenties, County Donegal, the place of Friel’s childhood summers and where he now finally rests.”
“These FrielDays experiences will offer a unique opportunity for Friel aficionados and those entirely new to his work to experience his craft in the terroir that inspired the plays, Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone. Arts Over Borders’ intimate, innovative style of performed readings in redolent rural settings will offer, we hope, a new cultural experience for audiences as well as a new context for celebrating one of Ireland’s giants of theatre.”
For full details of all performances and to book tickets, visit artsoverborders.com.
Glenties to host special Dancing at Lughnasa performance as part of special “FrielDays” was last modified: July 25th, 2025 by
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