In a quiet coastal village, Pegeen Flaherty runs a small pub where life moves with dependable rhythm—until the day a disheveled young man stumbles in, claiming to have murdered his father. Rather than reacting with fear, the townspeople embrace the stranger, Christy Mahon, treating him as a daring hero. His story ignites imaginations and stirs hidden desires, but as his myth grows, so does the danger of its unraveling—especially when another visitor arrives, casting doubt on everything the community has come to believe.
This new staging of The Playboy of the Western World is directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. The production features a high-profile cast led by Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment), and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls), bringing renewed vitality to John Millington Synge’s iconic work.
Originally premiered in 1907, Synge’s play remains one of the most provocative works in the Irish theatrical canon. With its layered portrayal of mythmaking, identity, and communal fantasy, this production offers a focused return to the tensions that made the play so controversial—and enduring.
