THIS PRODUCTION IS NOW ARCHIVED.

For more information about the Druid archive please click here.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Opening Night

The first performance of the Druid and Atlantic Theater co-production of The Cripple of Inishmaan took place in the Town Hall Theatre in Galway on September 12th, 2008. The opening night took place on September 16th.

Original Tour – Ireland

In 2008 the production toured to eight venues in Ireland; Cork, Dublin, Longford, Portlaoise, Ennis, Tralee, Letterkenny and Dún Laoghaire. For full details click here.

Original Tour – International

Internationally the production toured in 2008 to Salford and Oxford in the UK and played a twice extended three-month off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theater In New York from December 10, 2008 – March 15, 2009. For full details click here.

Revival

In 2011, the production kicked off a major 5-month Irish & US tour at Roscommon Arts Centre on January 27th. It played 14 theatres over 21 weeks and was Druid’s longest single run of a production on tour in the company’s history. The 17-week coast-to-coast tour of the USA was the biggest US tour undertaken by an Irish company in decades. The tour ended on June 26th with two performances on the island of Inis Meáin, which was the first time the play was performed on the island.

Critical Response

Hailed as “a definitive production” by The Washington Post, the tour received widespread acclaim from audience and critics alike and was one of the highlights of Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland’s year of Irish arts in the US in 2011.

Awards

The production won nine major International theatre awards including Best Production, Outstanding Director and Outstanding Ensemble. For full details click here.

ABOUT THE TOUR

This major 21 week tour of Ireland and the USA included stops in Galway, Dublin, Roscommon, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago and for the first time, to the island of Inis Meáin itself.

The extensive US tour was part of Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland’s year-long season of Irish arts in America in 2011. Other Druid shows in the US that year included Penelope by Enda Walsh and The Silver Tassie by Sean O’Casey.

ABOUT THE PLAY

It’s 1934 and news on the island of Inishmaan is thin on the ground. Then word arrives that they’re making a Hollywood film on neighbouring Inishmore and Cripple Billy for once is paying attention.

The Cripple of Inishmaan is a comic masterpiece which sees eccentric island characters trade stories to within an inch of their lives while a young man tries to make sense of who he is.

Winner of critical acclaim in 3 countries, this brilliant comic masterpiece comes complete with suspense and a great deal of heart.

Druid would like to acknowledge the continued support of the Arts Council in funding the company’s work and also the support of Culture Ireland in funding its international touring programme.

US TOUR REVIEWS

Cal Performances, Berkeley, CA

The Berkeley Daily Planet – 10.05.11
“For theatrical storytelling, true staging that reveals a play instead of “tarting it up,” there’re few companies in our language anything like Druid. Their presence here is a cultural event of real importance.”

San Francisco Chronicle – 06.05.11
“Cripple is a handsome production, with sets like art installations and costumes to match, both by Francis O’Connor. Hynes orchestrates the fine-tuned performances.”

Los Angeles, Kirk Douglas Theater, Center Theatre Group

LA Times – 11.04.11
“Kudos to Hynes for balancing the play’s mix of mockery and truth in her internationally acclaimed production.”

Stage and Cinema – 09.04.11
“as close to perfection as we can reasonably expect the theater to get”

The Backstage Review – 07.04.11
“Hynes and company have fashioned a richly entertaining rendition of a consummately crafted modern classic.”

Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Time Out Chicago – 23.03.11
“You’ll be hard pressed to find a better staging of this play”

Chicago SunTimes – 18.03.11
“The Cripple of Inishmaan may very well be McDonagh’s finest play…one of those rare and enchanted productions that will live in the memory of all who see it for years to come.”

Ann Arbor, Power Center for the Performing Arts, UMS

AnnArbor.com – 11.03.11
“a darkly funny, memorable, and thoroughly satisfying evening of theater. Catch it if you can.”

Washington DC, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The Washington Post – 10.02.11
“fiendishly funny …a definitive production”

Boston, Arts Emerson

The Boston Globe – 03.02.11
“The big word I’d use to describe “The Cripple of Inishmaan” is wonderful”

The Phoenix – 04.02.11
“it’s hard to imagine a production that could better harmonize the dark comedy’s mean-spiritedness and poignancy, or sings its profanely melodic song, than Garry Hynes’s for Galway’s Druid Theatre”

GENERAL PRESS COVERAGE

Irish Coverage

The Irish Independent – 14.05.11
READ a feature about Martin McDonagh’s writing in the 1990s and Druid first staging his work in 1996

The Sunday Independent – 20.03.11
READ actor, Dearbhla Molloy’s, travel log covering Boston, DC and Dublin

RTE News – 16.03.11
WATCH feature on Irish arts in the US including Druid in Washington DC

The Irish Times – 12.02.11
READ Lara Marlowe’s comments on the show and living in Washington DC

The Irish Times – 09.02.11
READ a feature on the Washington DC opening including coverage of a reception hosted by the Irish Ambassador at his residence in DC

US Coverage

East Bay Express – 27.04.11
READ a preview of Druid’s visit to Berkeley, California.

The Boston Globe – 30.01.11
READ an interview with director, Garry Hynes

INIS MEÁIN END OF TOUR PRESS COVERAGE

Druid’s visit to Inis Meáin with The Cripple of Inishmaan received significant media coverage in the run up to and during the weekend. The following is a selection of the coverage from the weekend itself.

The New York Times – 30.06.11

Feature article on the front of The New York Times Culture Section by Patrick Healy. Includes photos and interviews with Garry Hynes and Martin McDonagh.

Read the full article here

View slideshow of photos on The New York Times website

The Galway Advertiser – 30.06.11

The Galway Advertiser featured a photo on the front page of the paper and the following article.

Read the full article here

The Connacht Tribune – 30.06.11

The Connacht Tribune featured a number of photos and the following article. NOTE: The full article did not appear online.

Read the article here

The Irish Times – 27.06.11

Read the full article here

The Examiner – 27.06.11

Read the full article here

RTÉ 1 TV News – 26.06.11

The clip about Druid on Inis Meáin starts at 6mins 30 seconds.

Watch a clip from the RTE News which aired the evening of the performances

The Druid and Atlantic Theater co-production of The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh won 9 major international awards from the US, UK and Ireland in 2009.

Awards

Outstanding Direction (Garry Hynes)
Joe A. Callaway Award

Outstanding Ensemble
Drama Desk Award

Outstanding Featured Actor
Outer Circle Critics Award

Outstanding Featured Actor
Lucille Lortel Award

Outstanding Featured Actress
Lucille Lortel Award

Best Visiting Production
Manchester Evening News Theatre Award

Best Actor in a Visiting Production
Manchester Evening News Theatre Award

Best Supporting Actress
Irish Times Irish Theatre Award

Obie Award