A Whistle In the Dark
Encyclopedia
A Whistle in the Dark is a play
by Tom Murphy
that premiered in 1961 at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
London
having been rejected by the Abbey Theatre
, Dublin. It then went on to be a West End hit. Murphy was twenty-five years old at the time. It tells the story in three acts of the climactic confrontation between Michael, the oldest of the Carney sons, and his father and brothers, a brawling, hard-drinking, criminal gang of Irish
immigrants living and working in Coventry
. A powerful portrayal of tribal violence and the devastation it brings in its wake in spite of attempts to stand against it, it remains Murphy's best known and most performed play. John Lahr
of The Village Voice
saw its influence in Harold Pinter
's The Homecoming. Other plays showing its influence are Gary Mitchell
's In A Little World Of Our Own and Rod Wooden's Your Home In The West.
It was named “Best of 2005” in Canadian newspapers including the Globe and Mail, National Post
, Now Magazine
, and eye weekly
. National Post called it a “masterpiece production of a masterpiece play”.
It also received two nominations for Dora Mavor Moore
awards, specifically Outstanding Production and Outstanding Lead Performance Male for Joseph Ziegler.
In 2007, the Company Theatre remounted A Whistle in the Dark with the same director and most of the same cast. It played at LSPU Hall in St. John’s, Newfoundland in March and at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto in April of that year.
gave the first radio broadcast on 20 December 2009, directed by Roland Jaquarello
.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (playwright)
Tom Murphy is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. He was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland...
that premiered in 1961 at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
having been rejected by the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
, Dublin. It then went on to be a West End hit. Murphy was twenty-five years old at the time. It tells the story in three acts of the climactic confrontation between Michael, the oldest of the Carney sons, and his father and brothers, a brawling, hard-drinking, criminal gang of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants living and working in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. A powerful portrayal of tribal violence and the devastation it brings in its wake in spite of attempts to stand against it, it remains Murphy's best known and most performed play. John Lahr
John Lahr
John Lahr is an American theater critic, and the son of actor Bert Lahr. Since 1992, he has been the senior drama critic at The New Yorker magazine.-Biography:...
of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
saw its influence in Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
's The Homecoming. Other plays showing its influence are Gary Mitchell
Gary Mitchell
Gary Mitchell is a Northern Irish playwright. By the 2000s, he had become "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright"....
's In A Little World Of Our Own and Rod Wooden's Your Home In The West.
Canadian productions
In 2005, The Company Theatre in Toronto chose the play for its launch at the Berkeley Street Theatre. The production was helmed by Irish director Jason Byrne and starred Joseph Ziegler, Jonathan Goad, Allan Hawco, Philip Riccio and Sarah Dodd.It was named “Best of 2005” in Canadian newspapers including the Globe and Mail, National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, Now Magazine
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
, and eye weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
. National Post called it a “masterpiece production of a masterpiece play”.
It also received two nominations for Dora Mavor Moore
Dora Mavor Moore
Dora Mavor Moore, OC was a Canadian actor, teacher and director who was a pioneer of Canadian theater.- Life :...
awards, specifically Outstanding Production and Outstanding Lead Performance Male for Joseph Ziegler.
In 2007, the Company Theatre remounted A Whistle in the Dark with the same director and most of the same cast. It played at LSPU Hall in St. John’s, Newfoundland in March and at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto in April of that year.
Radio adaptation
BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
gave the first radio broadcast on 20 December 2009, directed by Roland Jaquarello
Roland Jaquarello
Roland Jaquarello, born December 14, 1945, is a British theatre director and radio producer/director. He started his career in Dublin Theatre Festival after graduating from Trinity College, Dublin in 1968...
.
See also
- Tom Murphy (playwright)Tom Murphy (playwright)Tom Murphy is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. He was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland...
- Brian FrielBrian FrielBrian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"...
- Harold PinterHarold PinterHarold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
- Gary MitchellGary MitchellGary Mitchell is a Northern Irish playwright. By the 2000s, he had become "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright"....
- Sean O'CaseySeán O'CaseySeán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
- John Millington SyngeJohn Millington SyngeEdmund John Millington Synge was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was one of the cofounders of the Abbey Theatre...
- The Sanctuary LampThe Sanctuary LampThe Sanctuary Lamp is a play by Irish playwright Tom Murphy written in 1975 but revised for subsequent productions. When premiered at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin its anti-Catholic stance caused enormous controversy with its author denounced in pulpits up and down the country...
- The Gigli ConcertThe Gigli ConcertThe Gigli Concert is a play by Irish playwright Tom Murphy premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in 1983 and widely regarded as his masterpiece.-Plot:...