This volume of Conor McPherson's collected plays, covering a decade of writing, celebrates a fascination with the uncanny which has led him to be described as 'quite possibly the finest playwright of his generation' (New York Times).

In Shining City, a man seeks help from a counsellor, claiming to have seen the ghost of his dead wife. The play, premiered at the Royal Court, London, is 'up there with The Weir, moving, compassionate, ingenious and absolutely gripping' (Daily Telegraph).

The Seafarer, premiered at the National Theatre before going on to become a Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, tells the story of an extended Christmas Eve card game, but one played for the highest stakes possible. 'McPherson proves yet again he is both a born yarn-spinner and an acute analyst of the melancholy Irish manhood' (Guardian)

Set in 'the big house' in 1820s rural Ireland, The Veil is McPherson's first period play. Seventeen-year-old Hannah is to be married off in order to settle the debts of the crumbling estate. But when Reverend Berkeley arrives, determined to orchestrate a seance, chaos is unleased. 'A cracking fireside tale of haunting and decay' (The Times)

The Birds, hauntingly adapted from the short story by Daphne du Maurier, is 'deliciously chilling, claustrophobic, questioning, frightening; and with a twist' (Irish Independent). It is published here for the first time, as is The Dance of Death, a new version of Strindberg's classic, which premiered at the Trafalgar Studios in London. 'A spectacularly bleak yet curiously bracing drama that often makes you laugh out loud' (Daily Telegraph).

Completing the volume is a Foreword by the author.

About the Author

Conor McPherson is an award-winning Irish playwright. Educated at University College Dublin, he went on to found the Fly by Night Theatre Company, which produced several of his early plays. His best-known works include The Weir (Royal Court, winner of the 1999 Olivier Award for Best New Play), Dublin Carol (Altantic Theater Company, New York) and The Seafarer (National Theatre, also director). He has also written for film.

Book Information
ISBN 9781848422094
Author Conor McPherson
Format Paperback
Page Count 392
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Weight(grams) 420g