Smock Alley Theatre presents as its tenth in-house production, The Shaughraun, written by Dion Boucicault
Robert Ffolliott, fiancee of Arte ONeil, has returned to Ireland after escaping from prison in Australia. An innocent local gentleman but convicted as a Fenian fugitive it soon becomes clear that he is no such thing.
The villain Kinchela, Roberts fake friend, tries to hunt Robert down and arrest him " his main motive being greed for Roberts estate & his desire for Arte, Roberts fiancee. With the help of Conn the Shaughraun Robert escapes various melodramatic cliffhanger situations. Roberts sister, Claire, is in love with an English soldier, Captain Molineaux, who is tracking down Fenians in the area.
She cannot decide whether or not to protect her brother or betray the Captain " her heart is torn in two " family loyalty or true love. A heart-racing, fast-paced, comedy of sorrows, incorporating hunger, greed, love, loyalty, and a fall off a cliff!
Written in 1874 by the Irish master of melodrama Dion Boucicault, the themes in this play still ring true " from vulture bankers, rising rents and homelessness, to Anglo-Irish relations and impending Brexit doom. But can love conquer all? That is the question
