Deirdre Kinahan: Shorts

Regular Price
£16.99
Sale Price
£16.99
Regular Price
Sold Out
Unit Price
per 

Author: Deirdre Kinahan

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Add some text content to a popup modal

Details

by Deirdre Kinahan

'The short play - very traditional to Irish theatre - is a little jewel of a structure, a lightning flash on a different world, the illumination made all the more acute by brevity' Deirdre Kinahan

Deirdre Kinahan is an award-winning playwright and member of Aosdána, Ireland's elected organisation of outstanding artists. This volume brings together five of her short plays, taken from the full span of her writing career, each of them shining a light into a forgotten corner of our humanity, giving voice to irrepressible characters that the world has done its best to overlook.

In Bé Carna (Tall Tales, 1999), five women reflect on their lives as prostitutes on the streets of Dublin, a dark tale inspired by true-life stories, reverberating with humanity, warmth and comic humour.

In Hue & Cry (Tall Tales/Bewley's Café Theatre, 2007), two Dublin cousins, Damian and Kevin, are reunited for a family funeral in a highly charged encounter full of disillusion, denial and dark laughter.

In Bogboy (Tall Tales/Solstice Arts Centre, 2010), originally written as a radio play for RTÉ, two lost souls - a young heroin addict and a reclusive middle-aged farmer - discover a budding friendship in the bogs of Meath, until a terrible secret comes to light.

Wild Notes (Solas Nua, Washington D.C., 2018) explores the impact of colonialism through a meeting between Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave and abolitionist who visited Ireland in the 1840s, and a young Irishwoman hoping to emigrate to the country he's running from.

An Old Song, Half Forgotten (Abbey Theatre, 2023) opens a window into the life and soul of an older actor who is living in care with Alzheimer's disease, rebuilding a man just as he begins to crack and fade.

Paperback, 320 pages

Help Us Support Theatre

Every purchase you make from the National Theatre Bookshop helps fund the vital work of The National Theatre. Whether that's putting new work on stages across the world or supporting our outreach and learning programmes, every purchase you make really does make a difference.

Editorial content

We Recommend

Our staff are insightful and knowledgeable, many of them work as actors, artists and playwrights. Have a look at what they recommend this month and see if you can find your next piece of inspiration.

National Theatre Gifts

Our exclusive National Theatre gifts will be sure to add a smile to their recipient. Whether a budding playwright, a natural performer or a National Theatre super fan there is something for everyone.

Subscriptions

Give the gift of reading. Our experienced booksellers hand select, wrap and post a beautiful book to you every month. With Plays, Fiction or Poetry you can delight in making the words come to life in your hands.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Signup for our newsletter to stay up to date on sales and events.

*By completing this form you're signing up to receive our emails and can unsubscribe at any time