| Enda Walsh and Druid Theatre Company were awarded a prestigious Scotsman Fringe First award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on August 10th, 2007 for The Walworth Farce. These awards are given to outstanding new writing premiered on the Fringe, having been highly recommended by the Fringe’s panel of experienced critics and arts journalists.
The Walworth Farce has been described as a mind-blowing mix of Marx Brothers madness and exploded Irish cliché. Running at the Traverse, this work uses the story of a family endlessly re-enacting a farcical, false version of their past as a metaphor for a country telling lies about itself. “The Walworth Farce was originally commissioned by Druid under its New Writing programme and it has been very exciting to see the piece develop from first draft to finished production’’ commented Garry Hynes, Artistic Director of Druid. “Enda has taken us on a very compelling journey accompanied by a great cast and an inspired creative team led by Mikel Murfi. This opens up a whole new audience for Druid and we would like to thank Culture Ireland for the opportunity to bring this show to Edinburgh”.
Enda Walsh had this to say upon receiving the award, "I’m absolutely delighted with the news. The Walworth Farce was a high-risk enterprise for all involved... producer, writer, director, designer and especially our actors who are reaching new levels of brilliance. All credit must go to Mikel Murfi for getting the very best out of everyone, me included." Enda also won a Fringe First for Bedbound in 2001 and the Critic’s Choice Award for Disco Pigs in 1997. His plays have contributed significantly to the ongoing interest in new Irish theatrical writing around the world and his plays have been translated and performed worldwide. This production at the Fringe, which is supported by Culture Ireland, has brought an exciting creative team to Traverse – Director Mikel Murfi (Trad, Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award 2005), Designer Sabine Dargent and Lighting Designer Paul Keogan, and Denis Conway, Garrett Lombard, Tadhg Murphy and Natalie Best. Click here for Show Times, Tickets and information: 0131 228 1404
Cast Denis Conway Garrett Lombard Tadhg Murphy Natalie Best What the critics are saying about The Walworth Farce: Metro Alan Chadwick
***** 'dynamite piece of work'
'blistering combined talents of Denis Conway, Tadhg Murphy and Garret Lombard'
'a manic little masterpiece'
The Times Benedict Nightingale
**** 'brilliant' The Guardian Lyn Gardner
**** 'a most original talent'
'language that swaggers with vitality'
'the Waltons rewritten by Joe Orton with an added dash of Beckett's despair'
'If there is a bleaker, funnier or more desperate play in Edinburgh this year, I'll eat my hat.'
The Scotsman Joyce McMillian
****
'about as brilliant and savage a final comment on the inner life of a defeated nation as Irish theatre in all its magnificence could have hoped to produce'
'an incredibly high risk enterprise presented with terrific farcical flair'
| 
