Two of J M Synge’s remarkable plays and an exploration of the man, his work and his life on the Aran Islands

J M Synge was one of the giants of Irish theatre, and a leading dramatist of the Irish Literary Renaissance. Together with W B Yeats and others, he co-founded Dublin’s famous Abbey Theatre in 1904, and was a director there until his death in 1909. He is best known for his comic masterpiece The Playboy of the Western World, which appears here alongside his dark comedy The Well of the Saints and the illuminating documentary Synge Song.

The Playboy of the Western World – When handsome adventurer Christy Mahon walks into a pub in County Mayo, claiming to have killed his violent father, landlord’s daughter Pegeen is smitten. She’s not the only villager to be beguiled by his bravery and his tall tales, and Christy soon achieves the status of local hero – until another stranger arrives in town… Aisling O’Sullivan and Finbar Lynch star in this classic play, which caused riots during its opening run at the Abbey Theatre in 1907.

The Well of the Saints – Set in a lonely, mountainous district of Ireland, this blackly comic play tells the story of Martin and Mary Doul, old, blind beggars who have been tricked by the local villagers into believing they are beautiful. A wandering saint restores their sight with water from a holy well, but this miracle cure brings more problems than it solves, as their eyes are opened to their own ugliness and the harsh realities of life. Starring Cyril Cusack and Marie Kean, this 1971 radio production was broadcast to mark the 100th anniversary of Synge's birth.

Synge Song – Before he was a playwright, Synge was a talented composer, and a sense of music informs everything he wrote for the stage. Visiting the Aran Islands, where Synge spent several summers, musician and writer Ann Mann looks at the sights and sounds that inspired him, talking to Aran Islanders and Synge scholars about the source of his unique language – his ‘Synge song.’ Interspersed with their insights are extracts from his compositions for violin and piano, and readings from his work by Kate Binchy and Jim Norton.

First published 1905 (The Well of the Saints), 1907 (The Playboy of the Western World)

Cast and credits
Written by J M Synge

The Playboy of the Western World
Pegeen Mike – Aisling O’Sullivan
Christy Mahon – Finbar Lynch
Sean Kheough – Lloyd Hutchinson
Widow Quin – Dillie Keane
Old Mahon – Michael Elphick
Michael James – John Rowe
Philly Cullan – David Bannerman
Jimmy Farrell – Anthony Ofoegbu
Sarah Tansey – Anne-Marie Duff
Susan Braidy – Janet Maw
Honor Blake – Tracy Ann Oberman

Adapted for radio and produced by Peter Kavanagh
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 October 1997

The Well of the Saints
Martin Doul – Cyril Cusack
Mary Doul – Marie Kean
Timmy – Kevin Flood
Molly Byrne – Kate Binchy
Bride – Rosalind Shanks
Mat Simon – Alan Barry
The Saint – Martin Dempsey
Reader – Denys Hawthorne

Produced by John Scotney
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 September 1971

Synge Song
Presented by Ann Mann
Music performed by Krysia Ostostowicz and Timothy Carey
Readings by Kate Binchy and Jim Norton
Produced by Piers Plowright
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 January 1994

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