OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Patrick McCabe 

• Author Notes

  Adapted from his own novel of the same name.

• Synopsis

  Raphael Bell, the old-style national school teacher whose life is haunted by images and memories from his past, has devoted his life to upholding his school's rigorous core curriculum. By the late 1960s, however, parents and students have begun to question Bell's inflexibility on such issues as corporal punishment and mandatory school prayer. Bell attributes all such criticism to the baleful influence of television, rock music, and American movies. His rage finally finds a focus in Malachy Dudgeon, a first-year teacher who seems to embody all the worst features of the counterculture. The two are soon locked in a power struggle that can only end in disaster.

• Play Type

  Adaptation/Translation
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  4

• Female

  2

• Total

  6

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  21 July 1998

• Producer

  Produced by Macnas

• Original Venue

  The Black Box
  

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme.