The Butcher Boy

Life is hard for the youthful Francie Brady, who struggles to navigate the narrow streets and narrow minds of an Irish village in the 1960’s. But his eternal optimism and carefree spirit carry him above the dysfunctional family and gossipy town, where he lives in a comic book dreamland with his best friend Joe. When he taunts newcomer Philip Nugent, his uptight mother Mrs. Nugent calls Francie’s family a bunch of pigs. This triggers a violent pig obsession, which grows as Francie’s life falls apart around him. This surrealist coming-of-age tale, tangled in a hypnotic score, smart lyrics, and a funny and moving book, all serve to cloak Francie’s pain until he cannot fight the dark forces any longer, and the story spins to a catastrophic conclusion.