DANCING AT LUGHNASA

Director's Notes

“Dancing as if the very heart of life and all its hopes might be found in those assuaging notes and those hushed rhythms and in those silent and hypnotic movements “

Brian Friel wrote like no other and his ability to stir emotions and imagination makes the opportunity to produce on stage one of his plays irresistible and so I was delighted and honoured to be asked to direct Dancing in Lughnasa by the Loft’s Artistic Director Sue Moore following on from last year’s production of his equally venerated play Translations which I also had the pleasure to direct.

Dancing at Lughnasa is very different however as it is set in the fictional Donegal townland of Ballybeg in the summer of 1936, at the time of year known in Ireland as ‘Lughnasa’, after the old pagan god of the harvest.

The Mundy sisters, all five of them, unmarried and living in the homestead are dealing with all the hardships of life at the time in rural Ireland. On top of the usual struggles of poverty they are trying to manage the social situation in a newly independent state where the church is dominant, but changes are afoot and the political situation in the outside world is starting to resonate by means of their one luxury, a radio set.

They have the added trials of raising a young child, the illegitimate son of the youngest girl Chrissie and the return of the oldest sibling, their brother Father Jack, who has been a long time away working as a missionary in Uganda. This has affected both his health and his mind, which appears to stand in the way of a triumphant return for him and the possibility of the family being elevated back to previous status. 

This however is not the story of despair it might seem. The home is one full of love for each other and also for the young seven year old Michael on whom the sisters dote . Also there are outbursts of joy and music via the medium of radio, which allow the sisters to revel in what was and what may have been and even what could be, some of which lead to reminiscences and situations that are sometimes fraught.

As the sisters attempt to live a normality, a modicum of excitement builds as Gerry Evans, a travelling salesman and Michael’s father, returns for one of his varying periodic visits, igniting passion and an outburst of dancing and possibilities of romance.

The play is overseen onstage by a older Michael, now an adult, who narrates and offers the picture of life on stage from his memories “ when I cast my mind back to that summer of 1936 different kinds of memories offer themselves to me.”  This opening line itself opens a plethora of thoughts as to whether the happenings played out are real or imagined.

This is a powerful , dramatic and fun filled play, full of life’s emotions, laughter and tears. It invokes a time where things and life seemed simple but were really not, a time where music flowed and feet danced, a time where change was only a heartbeat away.

Aided by a superb as usual technical team and a group of actors I can only describ as talented and dedicated, I am bursting with excitement at this opportunity to stage Friel’s masterpiece . I do hope you can join us and if you do, will appreciate all it has to offer .

Tom O’Connor – Director
November 2025