Dancing at Lughnasa

Set in Ireland in 1936, this lively, poignant play is a portrait of five unmarried sisters, who live in a modest home just outside the village of Ballybeg. Like a fading family photograph, this memory play, told through the eyes of the illegitimate son of one of the sisters, is a reflection on a summer when the introduction of a radio ruptures a family’s isolation, providing a portal to the modern world and all of its challenges. Adding to this change is the return of the elder brother, after 25 years of missionary service in Africa. When secrets are revealed and emotions are heightened, a fleeting moment of exuberance erupts as the soul of each sister emerges, unleashing a jubilant outpouring of emotion. As the pagan harvest festival of Lughnasa commences, so does the whirlwind of change that will forever alter the once mundane lives of the Mundy sisters. Dancing at Lughnasa reminds us that even in the face of desperation and despair – there can be laughter.