OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Marie Jones (1) 

• Notes

  A play for 8-11 year olds. The original production used masks and music.

• Synopsis

  This play is based on the custom of the Hiring Fair where for at least 100 years men, women and children sold their labour as seasonal workers on Ulster farms. Hughie McKinley is eleven. He comes from a poor Donegal family who can no longer afford to keep him. Setting off for the hiring fair, he is taken on by the Masterson family together with Arabella, a talking pig he has befriended. On arrival, Arabella lives in fear of being eaten while Hughie's life of terrible hardship is matched by that of everyone else, animal or human. In despair, Hughie finally comes up with a plan to save the animals from death, the Mastersons from disaster, and his own family from eviction. By the time he leaves for home, everyone is happy, including Hughie.

• Play Type

  Theatre for Young Audiences
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  2

• Female

  2

• Total

  4

• Cast Notes

  Cast members also play a range of other characters.

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  20 January 1992

• Producer

  Produced by Replay Theatre Company

• Venue Notes

  This play was first performed at Holy Family Girls Primary School, Belfast, as part of a tour to schools and venues.

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme. Additional information was supplied by Replay Productions from information contained in the company files.