OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Lady Gregory 

• Adapted / Translated From

  Douglas Hyde (Dubhghlas de hÍde)

• Setting

  A poor country cabin in the West of Ireland.

• Notes

  Lady Gregory's translation featured a slightly different ending to Hyde's original.

• Synopsis

  A short play about Martin and Mary, a desperately poor pair of newly-weds with scarcely a penny with which to even celebrate their own wedding day. As they sit to eat on their first day of married life, a blind old fiddler comes to the door looking for food. Though barely able to feed themselves, the couple share what little they have with the stranger, who turns out to be none other than the famous poet Raftery. Raftery repays their kindness by using his music to lure the neighbours into house, each one (almost!) bearing generous wedding gifts for the young couple. And yet how is Raftery managing to work this miracle – having died three days previously?

• Play Type

  Adaptation/Translation
  

  Number Of Acts

  One Act

Cast size

• Male

  7

• Female

  4

• Total

  11

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  16 November 1911

• Producer

  Produced by Abbey Theatre/Amharclann na Mainistreach

• Original Venue

  Abbey Theatre/Amharclann na Mainistreach
  

Source Of Information