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The Home Place is a play written by Brian Friel
Brian Friel

Brian Friel is an Irish people dramatist and theatre director from Northern Ireland....
 and first premiered at The Gate
Gate Theatre

The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Miche?l MacLiammoir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by Europe and American dramatists....
 Theatre (Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
, Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
) on 1 February 2005. After a sold-out season at the Gate it transferred to London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
's West End
West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
 (London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
) on 25 May 2005, making its American premiere at the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in an atmosphere removed from the commercial...
 (Minneapolis, MN) in September 2007.

play is set in the summer of 1878 in the mythical village of Ballybeg
Ballybeg

Ballybeg is a generic name given to small Irish towns, similar in meaning and context to Smallville in the Superman universe. The name comes from the Gaelic words Baile Beag which literally means Little Town....
, County Donegal
Donegal

Donegal is a town in County Donegal, in the Province of Ulster, in Republic of Ireland. Donegal is not the county town of County Donegal, despite being its namesake....
, at the house ("The Lodge") of Christopher Gore, his son David, and their housekeeper Margaret.






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The Home Place is a play written by Brian Friel
Brian Friel

Brian Friel is an Irish people dramatist and theatre director from Northern Ireland....
 and first premiered at The Gate
Gate Theatre

The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Miche?l MacLiammoir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by Europe and American dramatists....
 Theatre (Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
, Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
) on 1 February 2005. After a sold-out season at the Gate it transferred to London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
's West End
West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
 (London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
) on 25 May 2005, making its American premiere at the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in an atmosphere removed from the commercial...
 (Minneapolis, MN) in September 2007.

Summary

The play is set in the summer of 1878 in the mythical village of Ballybeg
Ballybeg

Ballybeg is a generic name given to small Irish towns, similar in meaning and context to Smallville in the Superman universe. The name comes from the Gaelic words Baile Beag which literally means Little Town....
, County Donegal
Donegal

Donegal is a town in County Donegal, in the Province of Ulster, in Republic of Ireland. Donegal is not the county town of County Donegal, despite being its namesake....
, at the house ("The Lodge") of Christopher Gore, his son David, and their housekeeper Margaret. Christopher is a widowed land-owner from England ("the home place" of Kent). Both he and his son David are in love with Margaret. Two guests are staying at The Lodge, Dr Richard Gore, Christopher's cousin, and Dr Gore's assistant, Perkins. Dr Gore is an anthropologist and is traveling throughout Ireland recording the physical characteristics of the locals.

Dr Gore's methods and racist hypotheses ignite animosity in the town, where a despised English landlord, Lord Lifford, was recently murdered. Christopher is caught in the middle between his cousin and his allegiance to the locals. The play runs the course of a single day in Ballybeg and centers on the resurgence of the Home rule
Home rule

Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-governance within the greater administrative purview of the central government....
 movement in Ireland.

Characters

  • Christopher Gore - Owner of The Lodge and a landlord in Ballybeg.
  • David Gore - Son of Christopher.
  • Dr. Richard Gore - Cousin of Christopher Gore, Anthropologist.
  • Perkins - Assistant to Dr Gore.
  • Lord Lifford - Local landlord, recently killed.
  • Margaret O'Donnell - Head housekeeper at The Lodge.
  • Clement O'Donnell - Father of Margaret, local schoolmaster and choir leader.
  • Sally Cavanagh - housekeeper at The Lodge
  • Con Doherty - local voice/leader of disapproval of Dr Gore's work
  • Johnny MacLoone - local, strongman for Con
  • Tommy Boyle - young local
  • Maisie McLaughlin - young local
  • Mary Sweeney - local


Original Cast

When the show first premiered, the original cast was:
  • Christopher Gore - Tom Courtenay
    Tom Courtenay

    Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of critically-acclaimed films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner , Billy Liar and Doctor Zhivago ....
  • David Gore - Hugh O'Conor
    Hugh O'Conor

    Hugh Charles O'Conor is a film and television actor. His father is the Irish pianist John O'Conor. His mother's maiden name is Murphy. Sometimes confused with the American actor of a similar name....
  • Dr. Richard Gore - Nick Dunning
    Nick Dunning

    Nick Dunning is an Irish actor. Dunning is a well known theatre actor and has appeared on stage in the WestEnd in London and at the Gate Theatre in Dublin....
  • Perkins - Pat Kinevane
  • Margaret O'Donnell - Derbhle Crotty
  • Clement O'Donnell - Barry McGovern
    Barry McGovern

    Barry McGovern is an Irish people Stage , film and television actor. He was educated at Castleknock College, Dublin....
  • Sally Cavanagh - Laura Jane Loughlin
  • Con Doherty - Adam Fergus
  • Johnny MacLoone - Michael Judd
  • Tommy Boyle - Bill Ó Cléirigh / Kenneth McDonnell (alternated shows)
  • Maisie McLaughlin - Leanna Duke / Ciara Lyons
  • Mary Sweeney - Brenda Larby