Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
Oscar Lewenstein
Dates Performed
Tuesday 27th February 1973
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
Play Details
Synopsis
A tense Guildhall in Derry, Northern Ireland, 1970, where the lines between peaceful protest and violent conflict blur in the fog of civil unrest.
Three ordinary citizens – Skinner, a cynical young man, Lily, a weary middle-aged mother, and Michael, an idealistic civil rights supporter – accidentally find themselves barricaded inside the Mayor’s parlor after a chaotic protest. As British forces surround the building, mistakenly believing them to be armed insurgents, the trio grapple with their newfound position of power and the realities of their working-class lives.
Friel’s powerful play shifts between the unfolding crisis, imagined inquests, and moments of surreal comedy as the characters confront their own motivations and the larger societal forces at work. Through their interactions and revelations, the playwright examines themes of class struggle, political violence, and the manipulation of truth in times of conflict. As the situation escalates towards its inevitable tragic conclusion, The Freedom of the City offers a searing critique of how institutions and media narratives can distort reality and dehumanise individuals caught in the crossfire of history.
Cast & Creative
Cast
Peter Adair
Cast
David Atkinson
Cast
Raymond Campbell
Cast
Basil Dignam
Cast
Peter Fyre
Cast
Matthew Guiness
Cast
Catherine Harding
Cast
Louis Haslar
Cast
Nicholas Llewellyn
Cast
Alex McCrindle
Cast
Carmel McSharry
Cast
Anthony Nash
Cast
Michael O'Hagan
Cast
Stephen Rea
Cast
George Shane
Designer
Douglas Heap
Costume