Sean O'Casey: Plays 1: Juno and the Paycock, Within the Gates; Red Roses; Cock-a-Doodle Dandy (Contemporary Classics (Faber & Faber)) (Vol 1) [Paperback]

Sean O'Casey (Author), Seamus Heaney (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Contemporary Classics (Faber & Faber) | Publication Date: December 31, 1998

In his early forties, while continuing to support himself as a laborer, we wrote, in quick succession three realistic plays about the slums of Dublin, known as the Dublin Trilogy. Juno and the Paycock, the second installment of the trilogy, was performed in the Abbey Theatre in 1924—the Abbey theatre produced the first installment of the trilogy, The Shadow of a Gunman (not included in this volume) in 1923. Juno and the Paycock deals with the unpleasantness of war and the misery of the victims during the the Irish struggle for indepenence. It was awarded the Hawthornden Prize.

As his career progressed, O'Casey experiemented with expressionism and symbolism, which resulted in Within the Gates; Red Roses for Me, a semiautobiographical work; and Cock-a-Doodle Dandy. Due to an increase of nationalism during the Civil War and Irish Independence movement, his plays were received well, although, at times, with protest and restriction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"From the perspective of the 1990s O'Casey stands out as Ireland's greatest playwright of the century. He it was who most passionately, most powerfully and most memorably dramatized the traumatic birth of the nation. He it was who gave to the twentieth-century theatre a greater range of vivid and original characters, male and female, than any other Irish playwright. O'Casey's language, controversial though it may be in some circles, is a third feature of his work which for its richness, colour and vitality has won for him a lasting place in the international repertory."--Christopher Murray, Twentieth-Century Irish Drama

"The power of Juno and the Paycock never fails to surprise and enthral and inspire. Its violent passion, its deep humanity, its bubbling humour and its appalling tragedy are soaked in the very spirit of Ireland itself."--Daily Mail

About the Author

Sean O'Casey was born on March 30, 1880 in Dublin, Ireland. His first plays, The Shadow of a Gunman, Juno and the Paycock, and The Plough and the Stars, also known as the Dublin Trilogy, were performed at the Abbey Theatre with great success; these plays are all collected in one volume called The Dublin Trilogy, which is available exculsively from Faber & Faber. His many works include The Star Turned Red, The Silver Tassie, and Purple Dust. He died on September 18, 1964.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (December 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571191819
• ISBN-13: 978-0571191819
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,948,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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