Faith Healer – Abbey Theatre

Aidan Gillen Stars in Abbey Th eatre’s

Faith Healer

40 years since directing the Irish premiere of Faith Healer at the Abbey, Joe Dowling returns to the theatre with a new production of Brian Friel’s masterpiece from March 30 to May 16, recruiting a stellar cast to join him. T his new Abbey Th eatre production will feature in her Abbey debut Niamh Cusack, Olivier Award nominee Nigel Lindsay and Tony Award nominee Aidan Gillen. Th e latter is also renowned for his parts in iconic TV shows like Game of Th rones, Love/Hate, Peaky Blinders and Th e Wire and movies such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Calvary, Sing Street and Th e Dark Knight Rises. First produced in 1979, Friel’s play is about the life of the faith healer Frank Hardy (Gillen). Th is is as monologued through the shift ing memories of Frank, his wife Grace and stage manager Teddy –

each character off ering new perspective and revelations on their momentous lives together.

Travelling through remote and isolated areas in Scotland and Wales, Frank off ers his unique cure to the most desperate and hopeless of people. Does he actually possess a gift ? Or are these rare and miracle healings only tricks of the mind?

“Faith Healer is Friel’s masterpiece,” said Dowling in a statement, speaking about revisiting the work. “Th e complex storytelling, the powerful language and characters and its unique form make it one of the great plays in Abbey history. I am honored to direct it again aft er all these years with a superb cast and design team.” Directors of the Abbey Th eatre Graham McLaren and Neil Murray added: “Faith Healer is one of our favourite plays. Th e chance to be in this building producing it is a real thrill of a lifetime. As we begin to see a new National Th eatre on the horizon for Ireland, we want to honour some of the historic moments of our current building.” “Th e Abbey’s production of Brian Friel’s spectacular play in 1980 was a moment of great signifi cance. Who better to revisit the play than the director of that lauded production and one of our predecessors – the wonderful Joe Dowling. We are

genuinely excited to see what his brand-new staging will conjure for our audience.” Faith Healer was Friel’s 12th play. Th e dramatist, who died in October 2015, was also a short story writer and co-founder of the Field Day Th eatre Company. He was considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists, described oft en as an ‘Irish Chekhov’ and compared to the likes of Samuel Beckett, Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter and Tennessee Williams. Faith Healer runs at the Abbey from Monday, March 30 to Saturday, May 16. Tickets cost €13 – 45 and can be purchased online via www.abbeytheatre.ie.

Th eatregoers can also see the play for free on March 30 as part of the venue’s Free First Preview scheme. Set up to encourage more to attend the theatre, tickets are only available on the night, limited to one person and issued on a fi rst come fi rst served basis. Th ey will be handed out from 6:30pm. However, the Abbey encourages those interested to arrive earlier as queues will form outside the building. For more information, visit www.abbeytheatre.ie/freefi rst-previews. As Faith Healer runs on the Abbey Stage, the theatre will also feature another former Love/Hate cast member monologuing. John Connors, of Cardboard Gangsters fame, will take to the venue’s Peacock Stage from April 1 – 11 for his one man show Ireland’s Call. It follows the lives and family histories of three young men as they grow up in Coolock on Dublin’s Northside.