OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  R.J. Ray 

• Setting

  Small rural village.

• Notes

  A manuscript version of this play survives in the National Library under the title 'Gombeenism'.

• Synopsis

  Stephen Kiniry, known as the Gombeen man, is feared and disliked by the community. When he discovers that his wife cannot provide him with a son, he tries to driver her to suicide. She flees one night and her father and neighbours think that he has finally driven her mad. She returns to her husband with the news that she is to have a child after all, but has been warned by a wise woman that the child is unlikely to turn out well...

• Play Type

  Plays General
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

• Cast Size Male

  6

• Cast Size Female

  2

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  30 June 1913

• Producer

  Produced by Abbey Theatre/Amharclann na Mainistreach

• Original Venue

  The Royal Court Theatre
  

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme and Ireland's Abbey Theatre: A History 1899-1951 by Lennox Robinson, with additional information from press cuttings of the time.