“If dancing is the alternative to language, has language been inadequate for these people? Has language failed these people? Has language betrayed these people?”

Quote

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Has language failed these people?

The idea that words are not enough was something that followed Friel through his writing career, and informed many of his most well-known plays.

“It felt very intimate to have a view into the way in which he was thinking about things.” – Robbie Blake

“Now is it coming together?” – Brian Friel

Portrait: Bláthnaid Conroy Murphy

Bláthnaid Conroy Murphy is a singer, pianist, performer, choral director, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist based in Dublin.

Lámhscríbhinn Ghaolmhar

Michael's monologue

This draft of Michael’s opening/closing monologue from Dancing at Lughnasa (1990) features some of the ways in which Friel would annotate his notes.

“At least it is a starting point. And all starting points are arbitrary – and then become an essence.” – Brian Friel