Philadelphia, Here I Come!

Brian Friel's "Philadelphia, Here I Come!" is one of the great pieces of modern Irish drama, and cemented Friel's reputation as the greatest living Irish playwright. A young man, Gar O'Donnell debates with his on-screen alter-ego whether or not he should leave the depressing environment of his home town and migrate to stay with his aunt in Philadelphia. Through Gar, the audience is taken on an emotional rollercoaster, as he ruminates on what he is leaving behind - his family, his friends, his first love, and we discover the seemingly stagnant reasons for leaving Ireland are the reasons he cannot bear to leave. Donal McCann delivers a truly great performance as Public Gar, the repressed antagonist who is manifested openly on the screen by extroverted (but unseen to others) alter-ego Private Gar played by Des Cave. With a great supporting cast including Siobhan McKenna, "Philadelphia, Here I Come!" is a compelling essay on Ireland and its emigre history, Ireland's relationship with America and what it means to be Irish. It is also a heart-breaking fable about growing up and making tough decisions, about fading dreams and lost loves.