- The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Cripple of Inishmaan is a dark comedy by
Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentaryMan of Aran .Set on the small
Aran Islands community ofInishmaan off the Western Coast ofIreland , circa 1934, the inhabitants are excited to learn of a Hollywood film crew's arrival in neighbouringInishmore to make a documentary about life on the islands. "Cripple" Billy Claven, eager to escape the gossip, poverty and boredom of Inishmaan, vies for a part in the film, and to everyone's surprise, the orphan and outcast gets his chance. [cite web|url=http://www.curtainup.com/cripple.html|title=The Cripple Of Inishmaan: A CurtainUp Review|accessdate=2006-05-09]The play
The Cripple of Inishmaan opened in 1997 at
Royal National Theatre (Cottesloe) inLondon . [cite web|url=http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=8209|title=National Theatre: Past Productions: 1996-2000|accessdate=2006-05-09] In 1998, it opened atJoseph Papp Public Theater inNew York City , again withRuaidhri Conroy in the title role. [cite web|url=http://www.publictheater.org/view.php?mode=eventdisplay&eventid=780&past=1&returnURL=%2Fcelebrating%2Fpast_view.php%3Fdecade%3D1990|title=The Public Theater: Past Productions: The Cripple of Inishmaan|accessdate=2006-05-09] In the same year,Frederick Koehler played Billy in Los Angeles.Characters
* Billy Claven, a crippled orphan
* Kate Osborn, Billy's
adoptive aunt who has been known to talk to stones* Eileen Osborn, Billy's other adoptive aunt and Kate's sister
* Johnnypateenmike, the town gossip
* Helen McCormick, a tough girl Billy has had a crush on for some time
* Bartley McCormick, Helen's brother
* Babbybobby Bennett, a boatman whose wife died of
tuberculosis * Doctor McSharry, the town
doctor * Mammy O'Dougal, Johnnypateenmike's alcoholic 90 year-old mother
Book
* McDonagh, Martin. "The Cripple of Inishmaan". Methuen Modern Plays. 1997. (Hardcover) ISBN 0-413-71590-6
* McDonagh, Martin. "The Cripple of Inishmaan". Vintage International. 1998. (Paperback) ISBN 0-375-70523-6References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.