Acclaimed as a major dramatist since his early success with The Weir, Conor McPherson's ability to weave theatrical magic reaches a new maturity in these four plays, premiered over the span of a dozen years. In each of them, deeply suppressed emotion is exposed to shattering outside forces in pitch-perfect writing that combines grit with lyricism, humour with profundity, and the riotous with the elegiac…
The Night Alive(Donmar Warehouse, London, 2013) is set in a Dublin bedsit, where the lives of two middle-aged men are sent spinning by a new arrival, promising either redemption or annihilation. 'Extraordinary... [McPherson] has a singular gift for making the ordinary glow with an extra dimension' ( New York Times)
Girl from the North Country(The Old Vic, London, 2017) weaves the iconic songbook of Bob Dylan into an unforgettable drama set in a Minnesota guesthouse in the 1930s. 'Beguiling and soulful and quietly, exquisitely, heartbreaking. A very special piece of theatre' ( London Standard)
Uncle Vanya(Harold Pinter Theatre, West End, 2020) is a stunning adaptation of Chekhov's masterpiece, a portrayal of life at the turn of the twentieth century, full of tumultuous frustration, dark humour and hidden passions. 'McPherson pulls off a feat of magical reinvention, and allows us to see the play anew' ( WhatsOnStage)
The Brightening Air(The Old Vic, 2025) is an entrancing tale of fate, family and unseen forces in 1980s Ireland, winner of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. 'The finest play of the year... a rich and subtle play that will surely endure for decades' ( The iPaper)
The volume also contains a foreword by the author.