Thursday, November 01, 2012

My Life at the Theater: THE LAST SUMMER by Declan Hughes




This was the third play we saw at the Dublin Theater Festival and its subject matter was both timely and an important one. What kind of men did a group of boys who loved Ayn Rand and Rush in the late seventies turn out to be. So we meet them as teenagers and then again as older men. All of them are strongly and adversely effected by Ireland's rise and fall. The Celtic Tiger years came in their young manhood and the prosperity was a promise that turned out to a false one. The program notes "That tension between international success and ordinary Irish life lies at the heart of the play." This was the only play we saw that dealt with contemporary Ireland, and it gave us a lot to think about.

6 comments:

Todd Mason said...

Ireland during the boom imported Limbaugh? They couldn't grow their own blarney-whiner?

Dana King said...

I've not seen or read any of Hughes's plays, but his PI novel are first rate. A bit of an Irish Ross Macdonald. Wonderful stuff.

Deb said...

Irish and an Ayn Rand fan? Sounds like Paul Ryan!

BTW, Tana French's new book, BROKEN HARBOR, also deals with the after-effects of the Irish financial meltdown.

/WV: Octorita--Octomom's new stripper name.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Patti, this sounds really interesting! And as you say, very timely. I can well imagine it gave you plenty to think about...

Todd Mason said...

Oh...Rush the terrible AOR band! That would be a bit early for Limby.

seana graham said...

I'm envious that you got to see a Declan Hughes play. I have only read and enjoyed his Ed Loy novels.