Dolly West's Kitchen: A Play (Faber plays) [Paperback]

Frank McGuinness (Author)

Book Description

Series: Faber plays | Publication Date: April 18, 2002

Two volumes from the Irish playwright Frank McGuinness: a major play on love, family, and war as well as stunning translations of two classics

Set in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland, during World War II, Dolly West's Kitchen is centered on a family struggling to come to terms not only with the effects of war on their country and their family but also with their own inability to respond to one another as situations -- and they themselves -- change. As the characters talk of love, sex, war, the English, de Valera, and the Yanks, Dolly West's Kitchen becomes a deeply moving evocation of the fantasy and the reality that was Ireland in the 1940s, filled with the richness of character and sense of place that have always marked Frank McGuinness's writing.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Set in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland, during World War II, Dolly West's Kitchen is centered on a family struggling to come to terms not only with the effects of war on their country and their family but also with their own inability to respond to one another as situations -- and they themselves -- change. As the characters talk of love, sex, war, the English, de Valera, and the Yanks, Dolly West's Kitchen becomes a deeply moving evocation of the fantasy and the reality that was Ireland in the 1940s, filled with the richness of character and sense of place that have always marked Frank McGuinness's writing.

Frank McGuinness is the author of several plays, including Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, as well as many acclaimed translations and adaptations, including Electra and A Doll's House. He teaches at University College, Dublin, and lives in Dublin.

About the Author

Frank McGuinness is the author of several plays, including Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, as well as many acclaimed translations and adaptations, including Electra and A Doll's House. He teaches at University College, Dublin, and lives in Dublin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (April 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571203701
• ISBN-13: 978-0571203703
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,155,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting chapter in Irish history, September 4, 2011

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eclectic collectrix (Fresno, California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Dolly West's Kitchen: A Play (Faber plays) (Paperback)

I read this play because my daughter was considering auditioning for a production of it. It reads well and could play better. The time is World War II, and the setting is Donegal near the border with Northern Ireland. Ireland's neutrality during the war is an interesting topic; hatred and resentment of the British tipped over into German sympathy for some Irish, while others recognized that the old animosity should be put aside for the greater good. British soldiers visiting across the border were forbidden from wearing uniforms, but it was understood that Britain would not hesitate to violate Irish sovereignty if necessary. That's the backdrop, but the play really concerns the shifting relationships of two sisters, their mother, their young maid, and the men in their lives: brother, husband, lover, and visiting Yanks stationed across the border. The style of language is heightened realism, and with the right cast, it could be compelling and entertaining. The main flaw for me was the role of the gay American soldier. I don't doubt for a minute that gay men served in the military during World War II, but I find it implausible that this guy could be as openly flaming as he is in this play, and that another soldier--and an Irish Catholic family, however unconventional--would be as tolerant and accepting. If you like reading plays, I recommend this as an interesting read, and if it's being performed near you by a good company, I'd recommend seeing it, but it does require more than the usual suspension of disbelief.