13– 16 November, 2013. The Mill Theatre, Dundrum Town Centre.
This play was first performed in May 1959 at The Abbey Theatre, Dublin, a time of recession in Ireland. Today emigration is once again part of Irish life. Many young people are facing the choice of living with their parents or emigrating with the hope of independence. For them it is a very difficult decision, saying goodbye to their families and their all- important friends with little hope of returning any time soon.
The Country Boy tells the story of one such family as they struggle with this emotional upheaval. It is a story not only about those who emigrate but one that looks at the lives of those who remain behind It is a historical play and yet very current. It is funny and sad and most of all truthful.
Curly, tired of working under his father’s dictates on the family farm in Mayo, is planning to emigrate to America, like his brother Eddie before him –a decision that is complicated by his love for Eileen, his childhood sweetheart. Eddie, with his american wife Julia, is coming for a long awaited visit home, with the intention of taking Curly back with them. With their arrival, tensions escalate within the family, making Curly’s decision all the more difficult. Will he remain behind after all, marry Eileen and move her in with his parents or will he travel across the Atlantic in search of independence?
