Steeped in the historical fiction genre, conor mcphersons the seafarer expertly captures irish culture and life. The seafarer nhb modern plays by conor mcpherson nook. Lockhart, the devil in conor mcpherson s the seafarer. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the seafarer by conor mcpherson. If youve been outside recently, you know full well that winter has been refusing to cede to spring this year. The seafarer, irish repertory theatre the plays the thing uk. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, mcpherson was awarded a doctorate of literature, honoris causa, in june 20 by the university college dublin. Conor mcpherson born 6 august 1971 is an irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. Shining city, the seafarer, the birds, the veil and the dance of death an. Dec 07, 2007 this physiological fact of life makes the gorgeous, vitally intelligent performances in the seafarer, the new play by conor mcpherson that opened last night at the booth theater, all the. The plays windy, stormy dublin setting hardly seems too different from a blustery, rainy new york. The seafarer is a 2006 play by irish playwright conor mcpherson.
Flame licks the upper corner of a playing card, and the suit is spades. The seafarer may well be conor mcphersons masterpiece to datei was enthralled by the muchlauded 2008 christmasseason production of the seafarer at steppenwolf that boasted a powerhouse cast, including john mahoney, tom irwin and francis guinan. Conor mcpherson was born in dublin, where he still lives. Dramatists play service, one of the premier playlicensing and theatrical publishing agencies in the world, was formed in 1936 to foster national opportunities for playwrights by publishing affordable editions of their plays and handling the performance rights to these works. Producer royal national theatre director conor mcpherson.
Pdf a reading of the seafarer 2007, the last published play by the irish playwright conor mcpherson 1971, which aims to investigate the rich. Looking around the squalid baldoyle home in conor mcphersons 2006 play. Seafarer by conor mcpherson 2901559363128 paperback. If the graphic in the publicity for conor mcphersons seafarer spells deviltry and hellfire to you, youre getting. A reading of the seafarer 2007, the last published play by the irish playwright conor mcpherson 1971, which aims to investigate the rich intertextuality that the work presents. Extract 61 4 representing sexual violence in the early plays of conor mcpherson lisa fitzpatrick conor mcphersons plays frequently evoke a sense of sexual violence and threat. Conor mcpherson s play about the sea, ireland, and the power of myth.
The seafarer an anonymous poem of uncertain date, was. The unique copy of the seafarer is found in the exeter book, a manuscript anthology of old english poetry assembled about 975 c. The theme of a wandering, damned sailor is a wellknown one. As the seafarer, conor mcphersons intense fivecharacter play begins, james sharky harkin andy murray is descending the stairs of his somewhat cramped twostorey home in a small coastal corner of irelandbaldoyle, county dublin. Men without women matthew broderick stars as a mysterious stranger in conor mcphersons kitchensink conversation piece set in dublin. Playwright conor mcpherson wrote a play called the seafarer in 2006. Conor mcphersons play the seafarer was first performed at the national theatre, london, in the cottesloe auditorium, in september 2006. You give us your permission to do so by clicking on the i agree button or by continuing to use our website after you have received this cookie notification. Apr 24, 2008 interviews with fiach mac conghail, conor mcpherson, jimmy fay, liam carney and don wycherley about the seafarer at the abbey theatre, 2 may 7 june 2008. While we cant say for sure that its based on the poem, we think this monologue, performed by an irish actor, shows that the play addresses many of the same themes. Further reading plays and scripts by conor mcpherson plays.
Mcpherson is a born yarnspinner guardian mcpherson s new play is one of his most succinct and startling, and the funniest to date. Nicholas, the weir, port authority and dublin carol. Its christmas eve, and sharky has returned to dublin to look after his irascible, aging brother whos recently gone blind. With inimitable warmth, style, and craft, conor mcphersons new play. Richard is a freewheeling soul, but he is also an overbearing alcoholic. The seafarer poem project gutenberg selfpublishing.
The set of conor mcphersons new drama, the seafarer, playing at the steppenwolf in chicago from december 4 to february 8, shows this vividly. Liuzza i sing a true song of myself, tell of my journeys, how in days of toil ive often suffered troubled times, hard heartache, come to know 5 in the keel of a ship many of cares dwellings, terrible tossing of the waves, where the anxious nightwatch often held me at the ships stem. The late late show with james corden recommended for you. Conor mcphersons play about the sea, ireland, and the. If it must be unseasonably cold, might as well lean into it, and irish rep offers a perfect opportunity. The living rooms in the homecoming by harold pinter, the lieutenant of inishmore by martin mcdonagh, and in this play, the seafarer by conor mcpherson are as scroungy, grotty, and disreputable as the males who inhabit these dumpy premises. Old drinking buddies ivan and nicky are holed up at the house too, hoping to play some cards. Aug 25, 2017 in the single shabby setting of the flat of a feisty, blind, old irishman living in the north side of dublin, conor mcpherson has crafted a rollicking, boisterous, comic and tragic tale of brotherhood, friendship, and salvation, evolving as four old friends spend a drunken christmas eve together act i and play cards with the devil in human form and also susceptible to drunkenness for the. No matter how far you roam, the devil that is your sins of the past can always find you. Mcpherson writes cracklingly great dialogue, but thats not enough to lift the seafarer too far past its familiar faustian tale of a man trying to get out of a bad bargain with the devil. Conor mcpherson is an awardwinning irish playwright. Review of the seafarer by conor mcpherson, at cottesloe. The seafarer, conor mcphersons christmastime fable.
The seafarer is also available in the collection conor mcpherson plays. Matthew broderick left and andy murray play characters with a menacing past in. Conor mcpherson, who turned 35 in august, is one of the genuine tre. Irish author conor mcpherson s play the seafarer 2006 is classified as a. The violence is not enacted on stage or expressed in violent dialogue, but rather is usually spoken by one character as a pasttense, reflective narrative, that functions to reveal something. Irish audiences will understand the seafarer better than those in new york or london so commented playwright conor mcpherson in the runup to his works irish debut at dublins abbey theatre. Conor mcphersons the seafarer returns, with a chilling matthew broderick by elysa gardner. The seafarer makes its chicago premiere, following a criticallyacclaimed broadway run. It is set on christmas eve in baldoyle, a coastal suburb north of dublin city. The seafarer nhb modern plays kindle edition by conor. Information about the openaccess article conor mcpherson s the seafarer.
This image inspired conor mcpherson to write the seafarer. Conor mcphersons the seafarer returns, with a chilling. The poem consists of 124 lines, followed by the single word amen and is recorded only in the exeter book, one of the four surviving manuscripts of old english poetry. Irish author conor mcphersons play the seafarer 2006 is classified as. Born in dublin, playwright conor mcpherson won londons prestigious olivier award for the weir and received a tony nomination for shining city. Interviews with fiach mac conghail, conor mcpherson, jimmy fay, liam carney and don wycherley about the seafarer at the abbey theatre, 2 may 7 june 2008.
Dec 22, 2008 the set of conor mcphersons new drama, the seafarer, playing at the steppenwolf in chicago from december 4 to february 8, shows this vividly. Dps offers an extensive list of titles that includes many of the most significant plays of the past century. A quick summary the speaker of the seafarer announces that he can make a true song about himself and the suffering he has endured while traveling over the ocean in the middle of winter. Apr 23, 2018 conor mcphersons the seafarer returns, with a chilling matthew broderick by elysa gardner. He was an early champion of a number of avantgarde and modernist poets. Lockhart, the devil in conor mcphersons the seafarer.
The play centers on james sharky harkin, an alcoholic who has recently returned to live with his blind, aging brother, richard harkin. The seafarer opens as sharky harkin has returned home at christmastime to take care of his brother, richard. This website uses cookies to provide you the best experience. Conor mcphersons play about the sea, ireland, and the power of myth. The seafarer is one of the most famous anglosaxon elegies and is found only in the exeter book. It tells how the sea took me, swept me back and forth in sorrow and fear and pain. In his introduction to the play, conor mcpherson refers to an old anonymous anglosaxon poem of the 8th century, the seafarer. The seafarer the wanderer the wifes lament poetry from the exeter book did you know. The seafarer, irish repertory theatre the plays the.
Well, we call him the seafarer, so it only makes sense that this poem takes place at sea. This physiological fact of life makes the gorgeous, vitally intelligent performances in the seafarer, the new play by conor mcpherson that. The seafarer operates on both metaphoric and literal planes, leaving a satisfying whole ripe with complexity. Conor mcphersons the seafarer is a play about a group of drinking buddies whose extended christmas eve card game is played for the highest stakes. The seafarer an anonymous poem of uncertain date, was found. He remembers terrible cold and loneliness, and hearing the sounds of seabirds.
Set on christmas eve in baldoyle, a coastal town near dublin, the play centers on james sharky harkin, a drunk who has. Translated by burton raffel the seafarer 1st hour genius. Adrift in the middle of a relentlessly stormy ocean, all the speaker can hear are the sounds of the surf an. He lives to drink, and he urges sharky to drink as well, even though sharky has promised himself he would remain sober for the holidays. The seafarer is an old english poem giving a firstperson account of a man alone on the sea. The seafarer by ezra pound about this poet ezra pound is widely considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th century.
The seafarer first ambushes you and then haunts you for days afterwards time out sparkling and suspenseful. Information about the openaccess article conor mcphersons the seafarer. Educated at university college dublin, he went on to found the fly by night theatre company, which. The seafarer conor mcpherson theater the new york times. Aside from one stunning monologue about hellas a place not of fire but of brutal cold and unbearable isolationits not particularly memorable. The seafarer is a chilling new play about the sea, ireland, and the power of myth. May i for my own self songs truth reckon, journeys jargon, how i in harsh days hardship endured oft. In conor mcphersons new play the seafarer, the devil tries his hand at cards. If the graphic in the publicity for conor mcphersons seafarer spells deviltry and. John thaxter for the stage says, making his brilliant national theatre debut as author and director, conor mcphersons new play powerfully recalls pinters the homecoming with its grim allmale household dominated by a stickwielding bully in an armchair. On the way, he stops to adjust a mechanical votive device under a picture of a radiant jesus. The seafarer, conor mcphersons olivier awardnominated play that premiered at the national theatre in 2006, imagines the plight of humanity as that of lonely sailors lost at sea, teetering on the safe, dry deck of morality above treacherously immoral waters.
The drama provides a tantalizing story of a man who gambles with the devil. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Hell is other people, one character famously decides in sartre s huis clos. The play is set in modern day baldoyle, north dublin, ireland. Nov 11, 2007 flame licks the upper corner of a playing card, and the suit is spades. He has written three films, i went down, saltwater and the actors, and directed the last two. Irish author conor mcphersons play the seafarer 2006 is classified as a black comedy with magical realism elements. Conor mcpherson is celebrated as the king of the ghost story, thanks to spinetingling and critically acclaimed plays such as the weir and the seafarer. Exeter book the seafarer summary and analysis gradesaver. In the single shabby setting of the flat of a feisty, blind, old irishman living in the north side of dublin, conor mcpherson has crafted a rollicking, boisterous, comic and tragic tale of brotherhood, friendship, and salvation, evolving as four old friends spend a drunken christmas eve together act i and play cards with the devil in human form and also susceptible to. The seafarer is a 124line poem written in old english that scholars often view as a companion piece to the wanderer. Search curtainup in the box below back to curtainup main page production notes the seafarer by conor mcpherson directed by ciaran oreilly.
599 311 781 306 945 227 141 969 114 364 1476 791 361 827 791 1436 484 1424 1264 1533 658 204 46 1427 766 508 272 1438 378 344 1245 82 257 1066 1247 168 378 666 189 589 1398 699 704 1329 166 864 170