Date Published: 29-Jun-2011

Druid’s cast of travelling players had already put 20,000 miles on the clock to stage the Cripple of Inishmaan on both sides of the Atlantic and other corners of the globe – but nothing compared to the thrill they and their audience enjoyed on Sunday when they brought it all back home.

This time it was the Cripple on Inishmaan, as Martin McDonagh’s critically acclaimed work finally made it to the island of its birth – so to speak – and to top it all for the locals, they were joined by President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin for the matinee production in the local hall.

It was Druid’s eighth visit to the island since they first performed there way back in 1982 – but as this was the first visit by the Cripple cast, it was a special day indeed.

The playwright Martin McDonagh was also on hand himself to take personal pride in the final performances of a production that has been seen and enjoyed by 100,000 since it was first premiered in Galway in 2008.

It also marked the end of a journey that has seen the Druid cast and crew clock up 20,000 miles, 1,800 bed nights and cracked 1,000 eggs – the latter is one of the many outstanding moments in a truly memorable piece of theatre.

It’s all set in 1934 as news arrives to the island of Inishmaan that they’re making a Hollywood film on neighbouring Inishmore and Cripple Billy – a well-read by crippled orphan living with two ‘aunts’ – sees it as his chance of a life away from the mundanity of the island.

But that’s only the beginning because what makes the Cripple a comic masterpiece is the rich tapestry of eccentric island characters and the perfect timing in writing and acting that would grace any stage.

The problem of course might have been that the home stage is the hardest one of all, but that should never have been in doubt because a superb cast held the audience – an equal mix of islanders and visitors – in the palm of their hand from the off.

See full review in this week’s Connacht Tribune.