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The Arts Council Playography Na Gaeilge

Plays

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Ballyfarland's Festival

An Ulster Comedy

OVERVIEW

  • Playwright

    St. John Greer Ervine 

  • Setting

    Various locations in Ballyfarland, in the immediate future.

  • Synopsis

    Ballyfarland's modest, upstanding grocer John McMichael accidentally captures burglar Red Dan and instantly finds himself locally famous. Seeing an opportunity, the town's leading citizens decide to embellish this fame further and put Ballyfarland on the map for tourism purposes. McMichael consequently finds himself described as a descendant of a Ballyfarland man who really won the American War of Independence. When the grocer has to stand for election to Parliament, however, he strives to preserve his integrity, and encourages his fellow-citizens not to vote for him, having to try to explain that he is quite content as he is.

  • Play Type

    Plays General

    Number Of Acts

    Full-Length

    • Cast size

  • Male

    9

  • Female

    4

  • Total

    13

Original Production

Original Cast  
A Press Photographer J.J. Murphy
Mrs. McKinstry Jean Lundy
Willie Semple James Boyce
Andrew Kernaghan Patrick McAlinney
Alex Pottinger J.G. Devlin
Mrs. Dunwoody Sheila Crawford
Red Dan John F. Tyrone
Sarah McMichael Elizabeth Begley
John McMichael R.H. MacCandless
Joe Stitt J.R. Mageean
Sergeant Galbraith Maurice O'Callaghan
Kate Cairnduff Barbara Adair
Charles Shannon John J. O'Malley
Production Team  
Lighting Brian O'Connor
General Manager Harold Goldblatt
Produced by Harold Goldblatt
Stage Manager Dan Fitzpatrick
Assistant Stage Manager Joan Keenan
Effects Joan Keenan
Records and Reproduction W. Erskine Mayne
House Manager Maurice O'Callaghan

Published Scripts

  • Title

    Group Plays 1:Seven Comedies/ edited and introduced by Hugh Odling-Smee

  • Year

    2009

  • Published By

    Lagan Press

  • Address

    7 Lower Crescent
    Belfast BT7 1NR
    Co. Antrim
    Northern Ireland

  • ISBN

    9781904652311

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Unpublished Scripts

  • Contact

    Theatre and Performing Arts Archive of Northern Ireland

  • Address

    The Linen Hall Library, 17 Donegall Square North
    Belfast BT1 5GB
    Northern Ireland

Rights Information

Source Of Information

Information for this entry was taken from press cuttings, and from the original production programme held at the Theatre and Performing Arts Archive of the Linen Hall Library, Belfast.