This is the first of the Druid Murphy cycle, and is set in Galway in the 70’s. The story revolves around an actor returning to see his old childhood friends, after ten years in the United States. It is a one act play, set in their local pub and sees the group meet, and move from their initial excitement and story telling, to more indepth discussion and arguments on how their lives have evolved and the choices they have made.

It is a impressive piece of writing to hold the attention of the audience for what is little more than a conversation in a bar, with constant worry over who has the next round and how slow the service is. The acting is absorbing and subtle, with each of the characters well drawn out by the cast. Garrett Lombard stands out as the school teacher, that seemed destined to be the brightest of them all, but ended up trapped due to the weight of responsibility of his family.

The Druid Murphy cycle runs until next Saturday, the 13th of October in the Gaiety theatre.