I thought this was excellently performed by Stamford's Shoestring Theatre company. I was quite able to suspend disbelief and be carried along by the story of Christy Mahon and his fearsome murderous deeds. I particularly enjoyed the Widow Quin character, though all were well-played. The scenery of the shebeen, with a view of the Mayo coast beyond was perfect too.
Interesting too to read about the play's reception when it was first performed in 1907. It seems political correctness is by no means a modern invention. Nationalists claimed it wasn't political enough, and others saw the use of the word "shift" as a reference to Kitty O'Shea's adultery with nationalist leader Charles Parnell, and as an insult to the women of Ireland. And the premise of the play - that a village would idolise a man who claimed to have killed his father - was taken as a terrible insult to Irish peasant life.
All in all though - very entertaining and full of humour. And I hadn't realised that "playboy" meant "trickster.
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