Brian Friel exhibition opens in Derry Guildhall – the scene of many of the playwright’s triumphs

An exhibition featuring the archive of the late, great Brian Friel has opened in the Guildhall and will run until next Wednesday.
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‘Friel Reimagined: A Playwright's Works in Progress’ – an exhibition on Brian Friel’s rich archive – explores significant moments of creative transformation as Friel worked through five iconic works, from the 1960s to the 1990s.

The exhibition is part of ‘Friel Reimagined’ Project at Queen’s University Belfast, produced in partnership with JSTOR and the National Library of Ireland, and with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Steel Charitable Trust.

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Appropriately the collection is being shown in the Guildhall which hosted the first performance of Friel’s seminal play ‘Translations’ following the foundation of the Field Day Theatre Company in 1980.

Brian FrielBrian Friel
Brian Friel
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The original archival papers presented in the exhibition are held at the National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin.

The papers are the copyright of the Brian Friel Estate and are reproduced by Queen’s with kind permission.

The exhibition features essays by Kelly Matthews, Lisa Fitzpatrick, David Grant, Alison Garden and Bernadette Sweeney. Illustrations by Fuchsia MacAree, Lydia Hughes, Ashwin Chacko, Dermot Flynn and Ashling Lindsay.

'First notes' on Brian Friel's 1964 play 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!''First notes' on Brian Friel's 1964 play 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!'
'First notes' on Brian Friel's 1964 play 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!'
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The exhibition design is by Nongraphic, while the structural design and build is by Shiro Masayuma.

When the exhibition ends at the Guildhall, it will move to the McClay Library at Queen’s University Belfast and will be opened to the public from December 10.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome to visit. The exhibition will be open during the Guildhall’s normal opening hours until November, November 23.

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