Overview
Synopsis
The Ferryman is set in Northern Ireland in 1981, during the height of the Troubles. Quinn, a former terrorist, has swapped his career with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) for a life on the farm in rural Armagh. He now lives with his sickly wife, their children, his sister-in-law and nephew. The IRA murdered Quinn’s brother, Seamus, when he was just twenty years old and his body has only recently been discovered. He was one of the sixteen men and women who were killed and buried in unknown locations during the 1970s, leaving their family unsure as to whether they were alive or dead. Seamus was apparently shot dead following Quinn’s defection from the IRA in 1972, and a threateningly influential IRA member, Muldoon, now comes to pay Quinn a visit. He is keen to ensure that there are no further repercussions to the IRA’s cause, now Seamus’ murder has come to light.
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Context
Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman was inspired by those referred to as the ‘Disappeared’, or the people who were believed to have been abducted and secretly murdered, during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The play premiered in April 2017 at London’s Royal Court Theatre and became the fastest-selling play in the theatre’s history. Directed by Sam Mendes, the play transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in June 2017 and ran for just under a year, until May 2018. The Ferryman was nominated for seven
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Prologue
In a dark alleyway in Derry, Father Horrigan arrives to meet with IRA member, Frank Magennis. He has traveled for two hours to get there, and is watched from the shadows by Lawrence Malone. Magennis informs Father Horrigan that the police have found a body buried in the peat, which has subsequently been identified as Seamus Carney--a former IRA informer. Father Horrigan knows the Carney family well, and Magennis threatens the priest to get him to agree to help the IRA. Magennis’
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Ferryman.
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher