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Philadelphia, Here I Come review: Friel's masterpiece still has resonance today
Thu, 07 Oct, 2021 - 12:45
★★★★☆
Hailed as a masterpiece when it was first staged in 1964, Brian Friel’s Philadelphia, Here I Come! is a classic of Irish theatre and a well-judged choice for Cork Opera House’s post-lockdown reawakening, providing a welcome reminder of the playwright’s genius for divining the magic in ordinary life and language.
The Ireland it portrays, where a St Brigid’s Cross hangs on the wall and the rosary is said every evening, may be rapidly receding in the distance but the play’s emotional truths still ring loud and clear.
Gar O’Donnell is preparing to...