Dancing at Lughnasa at the Royal Exchange Theatre

Few plays capture the fragility of memory and the bittersweet ache of nostalgia quite like Dancing at Lughnasa. Written by Brian Friel, who is often described as ‘the Irish Chekhov’, it’s a modern classic of 20th-century drama, winner of Olivier and Tony Awards, and regarded by many as his masterpiece. Now, Sheffield Theatres and the Royal Exchange Theatre join forces to revive Friel’s extraordinary play in a major new co-production, directed by Elizabeth Newman, incoming Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres.

Set in the rural village of Ballybeg, County Donegal, in the summer of 1936, the play looks back at the lives of the five Mundy sisters. Living together on the edge of town, bound by responsibility, gossip and social expectation, they carve out a precarious existence in a world about to change forever. Their small cottage becomes a stage for fleeting joy, unspoken frustrations and the rhythms of daily survival, as the outside world – the arrival of a wireless set, the return of their missionary brother Jack, the unpredictable visits of charming Gerry – begins to intrude.

The way Friel incorporates dance and music throughout the play is what gives Dancing at Lughnasa its timeless theatrical charm. At the heart of the play are sudden bursts of wild, almost uncontrollable movement – the sisters dancing to scraps of music, as if their bodies can momentarily transcend hardship. These scenes are both liberating and heartbreaking: a reminder of the joy that exists even through times of poverty, constraint and tradition. This is a play that celebrates joy in the moment, even though it acknowledges how fragile those moments can be.

This new staging boasts a stellar cast, including Martha Dunlea as Christina, Kwaku Fortune as Michael, Rachel O’Connell as Rose, Siobhán O’Kelly as Margaret, Laura Pyper as Agnes, Natalie Radmall-Quirke as Kate, and Marcus Rutherford as Gerry, with Frank Laverty as Father Jack. Together, they bring fresh energy and insight to characters whose lives feel both deeply rooted in 1930s Ireland, though they feel uncannily resonant today.

At the helm of the production is director Elizabeth Newman, making her debut as Sheffield Theatres’ new Artistic Director. She’s joined by designer Francis O’Connor, lighting designer Chris Davey, composer and sound designer Pippa Murphy and movement director Sundeep Saini – a team whose combined expertise promises to capture both the lyrical intimacy of Friel’s writing and the physical vitality of the play.

The Royal Exchange is the perfect home for this revival. Its in-the-round theatre places the audience right at the heart of the action, making the Mundy sisters’ kitchen feel like a space we inhabit alongside them.

More than thirty years after it first premiered, Dancing at Lughnasa remains as vital as ever – a powerful reflection on memory, survival and the unstoppable tide of change. For Manchester audiences, this is a rare chance to see a modern masterpiece reimagined by a powerhouse creative team in one of the country’s most distinctive theatres.