No Brian Friel, sadly, but his daughter, the Abbey's literary manager Judy Friel, was among the thespian highfliers packing the stalls at the Peacock Theatre on Thursday night for the opening of the final production in The Abbey's retrospective celebration of the playwright's work; Making History, Friel's quixotic contemplation of the undoing of Gaelic chieftain Hugh O'Neill. Judy Friel was there with outgoing - in a friendly sort of way - Patrick Mason, the theatre's artistic director, along with managing director Richard Wakely. If the boisterous pre-show hubbub in the bar was anything to go by, the Friel Festival has been a resounding success.
Madeline Boughton, the theatre's publicist, looked after guests including Gaiety Acting School director, Patrick Sutton. Playwrights included Jimmy Murphy and Jim Nolan; the actress Olwen Fouere was taking time out from rehearsals from a new production of The Wake, which is due to travel to the Edinburgh Festival in August. Designer Joe Vanek is already at work on Frank McGuinness's play for the Dublin Theatre Festival, Dolly West's Kitchen.
In the lead role Gerard McSorley gave a stunning performance as Hugh O'Neill, although a few members of the audience did a doubletake when he first appeared. Well he did play Father Todd Unctuous in that Father Ted special a few years back.