Should some secrets never be kept no matter what the cost? Five women come together to help clear out a run-down cottage a week before the wedding of its new owner, Una. Joining her on this hen night of sorts are her two best friends, Kelly and Triona, her soon to be mother-in-law, Olive, and Olive’s best friend, Anta. But Una is keeping a secret that, if revealed, will destroy all hopes of her dream wedding and living happily ever after with the love ofher life. As the play unfolds we see the women, one by one, forced to confront awkward truths of their own.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is the first novel in a fantastic new series called THE HEN NIGHT PROPHECIES, following the fortunes of five different girls, each given their own puzzling prophecy at a friend's hen night... Zoe Piper adores her four best friends - Fern, Libby, Charlotte and Priya - so is thrilled when they can all make it to her hen night, where one of the girls arranges for a tarot-card reader to give them a reading individually. Afterwards, each one stumbles out a little dazed, perplexed by how spookily accurate the reader was, but each one keeps quiet about their own readings. In each of the five volumes of THE HEN NIGHT PROPHECIES we learn how their prophecies come true - this first book follows the fortunes of Fern, who is told that she has already met The One, but let him go...
The hen (or bachelorette) party, with its groups of visible, raucous women on trains, planes, and in public spaces is ubiquitous throughout the English-speaking world. The practice of the blackening, a unique form of kidnapping and “punishment” ritual, is limited to North Eastern parts of Scotland and to specific sectors of the population. Both are prenuptial rituals enacted by women. In Prenuptial Rituals in Scotland, Sheila Young produces a thorough description of how these two rituals were and are enacted and analyzes the ways these practices have changed through time as a social commentary. Young’s study provides valuable insights into identity, gender, social class, contemporary attitudes to ritual, and what it means to approach marriage in the twenty first century.
Hen Night was born when a handful of recent grads made a pact to party every Thursday forever. It is their night to dance or wrestle like no one is watching. We get to share their roller coaster of incredulous antics and emotions as the months become years, and then decades. From high school to hot flashes, their stories are sprinkled with delightful factoids and narrated with light-hearted commentary which could lead to panty-wetting laughter. OH, that every soul could find such mates!
Drawing on major new archival discoveries and recent research, Patrick Lonergan presents an innovative account of Irish drama and theatre, spanning the past seventy years. Rather than offering a linear narrative, the volume traces key themes to illustrate the relationship between theatre and changes in society. In considering internationalization, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Celtic Tiger period, feminism, and the changing status of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Lonergan asserts the power of theatre to act as an agent of change and uncovers the contribution of individual artists, plays and productions in challenging societal norms. Irish Drama and Theatre since 1950 provides a wide-ranging account of major developments, combined with case studies of the premiere or revival of major plays, the establishment of new companies and the influence of international work and artists, including Tennessee Williams, Chekhov and Brecht. While bringing to the fore some of the untold stories and overlooked playwrights following the declaration of the Irish Republic, Lonergan weaves into his account the many Irish theatre-makers who have achieved international prominence in the period: Samuel Beckett, Siobhán McKenna and Brendan Behan in the 1950s, continuing with Brian Friel and Tom Murphy, and concluding with the playwrights who emerged in the late 1990s, including Martin McDonagh, Enda Walsh, Conor McPherson, Marie Jones and Marina Carr. The contribution of major Irish companies to world theatre is also examined, including both the Abbey and Gate theatres, as well as Druid, Field Day and Charabanc. Through its engaging analysis of seventy years of Irish theatre, this volume charts the acts of gradual but revolutionary change that are the story of Irish theatre and drama and of its social and cultural contexts.
Contemporary Irish Documentary Theatre is the first anthology of Irish documentary drama. It features five challenging plays by Irish writers, and one by an international author, interrogating and commenting on crucial events of Irish history and of the diaspora, with introductory essays by established academics. Together these plays represent the most innovative development in contemporary Irish theatre and illuminate the social and political realities of contemporary Ireland. The first two plays, of 2010 and 2013, deal with scandals of clerical and institutional abuse, and use as source material the Ryan Report of 2009, and the documents from the 2008 Irish Bank Guarantee. The next two, of 2014 and 2013, concern interpretations of the most iconic moment of Irish history: the Easter Rising. The first of these is based on published statements of participants in the event and the second on the lived experiences of those in the contemporary Republic whose founding ideals have not been realized . The last two plays, of 2015 and 2016, widen the view to the history of the Irish in the diaspora: one retelling the history of emigration to England based on published research material; and the other tracing Roger Casement's experiences in the Amazon and his subsequent participation in the Easter Rising using extracts from his diaries and other writings. The plays included and discussed are: No Escape by Mary Raftery Guaranteed by Colin Murphy Of This Brave Time by Jimmy Murphy History by Grace Dyas My English Tongue, My Irish Heart by Martin Lynch The Two Deaths of Roger Casement by Domingos Nunez
'Funny, beautifully observed and moving' Adam Kay 'Tales Of The Cityfor a new generation . . . smart, touching, razor-sharp one-liners, a life-affirming read . . . I fell utterly in love with it' John Marrs 'Funny, kind, insightful book, about those who get left behind' Russell T Davies Two brothers. Two different journeys. The same hope of a magnificent future. At twenty-nine, Jake D'Arcy has finally got his life just right. Job with prospects: check. Steady girlfriend: check. Keeping his exhausting, boisterous family at bay: check. So why isn't he happier? When his confident, much-adored younger brother Trick comes out as gay to a rapturous response, Jake realises he has questions about his own repressed bisexuality, and that he can't wait any longer to find his answers. As Trick begins to struggle with navigating the murky waters of adult relationships, Jake must confront himself and those closest to him. He's beginning to believe his own life could be magnificent, if he can be brave enough to make it happen . . . 'Just wonderful. Warm, funny and believable, with characters you feel you know. And with, as ever, some enviably KILLER lines' Marina O'Loughlin 'MAGNIFICENT. It's all about the complicated issues of families and sexuality, the writing is pacy, smart and funny, and the storytelling is first-rate' Adam Kay, bestselling author of This is Going to Hurt 'Wonderful . . . touching on all the psychological intricacies, and the ripples of social and family consequences [of coming out]. But it's just as much a book about sibling love and the value of friendship. Populated with a likeable, diverse and witty cast of characters, it's a sure-footed narrative about finding your feet.' The Irish Times 'With razor sharp observation, this coming of age story is full of heart' Sunday Mirror 'Raw and honest, more complex and real than most coming out stories' The i Paper More praise for Justin Myers: 'Original, compelling, touching and funny' Francesca Hornak, author of Seven Days of Us 'A funny, keenly observed tale about relationships and identity' Red Magazine 'Brilliant. I fell in love with Jake and there was something special about reading the brothers' stories unfold while keeping one eye on my own magnificent sons playing in our garden' The Unmumsy Mum 'Extremely funny, with real heart, depth and resonance' Daisy Buchanan 'Insightful, heartfelt and witty' Laura Jane Williams 'So funny and sharp, yet tender and emotional too' Jill Mansell 'Brilliant, funny and incisive' Stylist
