Greta Garbo Came to Donegal

Venue: Tricycle Theatre

From: Jan 7, 2010 Until: Feb 20, 2010

“Emotionally rich and highly enjoyable… atmospheric and beautifully acted” The Independent

“Jealousy, secretiveness, self-loathing and sexual ambivalence throb… the result is a poignant, intelligent drama… there is a huge amount to admire in this painful, compassionate and skilfully imagined play.” Evening Standard

“Greta Garbo Came to Donegal is one of McGuinness’ successes… he deftly mixes humour and pain, good jokes and darker moods… warmth, wit and intriguing subject matter.” The Daily Telegraph

“Frank McGuinness writes extraordinary ordinary women… he has excelled at creating female characters who are insightful and articulate… beautifully expressed.” Financial Times

“a charming play…. a lovely gentleness” Daily Mail

“…moving and mannered… beautifully played” Time Out

“Riveting and funny tale has real star quality” Ham And High

“Superbly acted, atmospheric and poignant” Mail on Sunday

Greta Garbo came to Donegal, and she did. The year is 1967 – nothing is ever the same after.

Ireland is on the verge of violent change, two couples are on the verge of ending, a woman tries to save her family, a girl tries to save her future. Above it all but in the midst of things, determining what happens next, is the loveliest and loneliest of all women, the great Garbo. But when the gods arrive, they can cause havoc, not least to themselves, as the divine Greta learns.

Frank McGuinness is an award-winning Irish playwright and poet. His considerable body of work includes: Gates of Gold (Finborough,West End),There Came A Gypsy Riding (Almeida), Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Hampstead), Someone Who’ll Watch over Me (Hampstead,West End and Broadway), The Factory Girls (Abbey Dublin and Tricycle) and recent translations of Euripides’ Helen (Globe) and Oedipus (National Theatre).