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A review by lorrainelowereads
Philadelphia, Here I Come! by Brian Friel
5.0
I studied Philadelphia, Here I Come by Brian Friel in school many years ago. I came across this lovely little edition recently and thought it would be a nice trip down memory lane.....
Friel masterfully shows us a glimpse of a life, the life of Gar O’Donnell on one particular night when he is preparing to emigrate from Ireland to Philadelphia. It really is amazing how Friel tells us so much about the characters and their emotions in so few words (under 100 pages).
Two scenes stick out in my mind. One is the flashback to Gar’s aunt Lizzy’s visit to Ireland when she first asks Gar if he would consider joining her and her husband in the US. It is a comical and heartbreaking scene, where just through dialogue we can see how lonely, desperate and sad Lizzy is.
The second scene is the one where Gar’s friends drop by to say farewell. Their infantile, hyper and fantastical talk of their exploits with women is again comical and heartbreaking all at once, and Ned’s commitment to avoiding discussing Gar’s pending departure speaks volumes.
And of course, what’s not said in the play is as important as what is said.
Friel masterfully shows us a glimpse of a life, the life of Gar O’Donnell on one particular night when he is preparing to emigrate from Ireland to Philadelphia. It really is amazing how Friel tells us so much about the characters and their emotions in so few words (under 100 pages).
Two scenes stick out in my mind. One is the flashback to Gar’s aunt Lizzy’s visit to Ireland when she first asks Gar if he would consider joining her and her husband in the US. It is a comical and heartbreaking scene, where just through dialogue we can see how lonely, desperate and sad Lizzy is.
The second scene is the one where Gar’s friends drop by to say farewell. Their infantile, hyper and fantastical talk of their exploits with women is again comical and heartbreaking all at once, and Ned’s commitment to avoiding discussing Gar’s pending departure speaks volumes.
And of course, what’s not said in the play is as important as what is said.