Plays

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Family Failing

A Comedy in Three Acts

OVERVIEW

  • Playwright

    William Boyle 

  • Setting

    The Donnelly family home.

  • Synopsis

    The play centres on the Donnelly family and the indolence of the sons of the house, Joe and Dominic. Their hard-working sister Maria realises that they are almost out of money and that they have no option but to sell the last remaining cow. The cow, however falls into a river and drowns, leaving the family facing ruin. Suddenly an uncle arrives unexpectedly from America; can he save them from penury?

  • Play Type

    Plays General

    Number Of Acts

    Full-Length

    • Cast size

  • Male

    5

  • Female

    3

  • Total

    8

Original Production

Original Cast  
Francy Neil Michael J. Dolan
Robert Donnelly Fred O'Donovan (1)
Maria Donnelly Eileen O'Doherty
Dominic Donnelly Arthur Sinclair
Joe Donnelly Sydney J Morgan
Tom Carragher J M Kerrigan
Nelty Kathleen Drago
Mrs Carragher Cathleen Nesbitt
Production Team  
Production by Lennox Robinson

Published Scripts

  • Title

    Family Failing; a comedy in three acts

  • Year

    1912

  • Published By

    Publisher not found

  • Address

    England

Rights Information

  • Not Found

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.