
Faith Healer
By Brian Friel
Directed by John Dove
“Teddy’s driving as usual, and I’m in the passenger seat, and he’s immediately behind us, the Fantastic Francis Hardy, Faith Healer, with his back to us and the whiskey bottle between his legs.”
The lame, the ill and the broken-hearted all gather for the Fantastic Francis Hardy: Faith Healer. Travelling with his two companions, Grace and Teddy, Frank roams the small towns of Scotland and Wales healing the sick, trying to find a way home.
These are their stories - haunting, tender, funny and passionate, taking us to the heart of what it means to love and to believe.
One of Ireland's greatest playwrights, Brian Friel is best known for his works Philadelphia Here I Come!, Translations and Dancing at Lughnasa. Faith Healer is Friel’s masterpiece, defining his uniquely poetic and intensely human voice it is a landmark play in the rich landscape of Irish theatre.
John Dove is Associate Artist at The Lyceum, most recently directing the widely acclaimed Pressure by David Haig.
"One of those rare works of art audiences are destined to recall as a deeply personal experience. A powerful piece of writing.” The New York Times on Faith Healer
Sponsored by:
Cast and Credits
CAST
- Patrick Driver, Teddy
- Niamh McCann, Grace
- Sean O'Callaghan, Frank
CREATIVE TEAM
- John Dove, Director
- Michael Taylor, Designer
- Tim Mascall, Lighting Designer
- Claire McKenzie, Composer & Music
Dates, Times & Prices
14 January – 7 February 2015
Previews
14, 15 and 16 January, 7.30pm
All Preview tickets £10 and on sale now!
EVENINGS, 7.30pm
Tuesday - Saturday
MATINEES, 2pm
Wednesdays and Saturdays
Excluding Saturday 17 January 2015
Runtime: Approximately 2hrs 10 minutes including a 20 minute interval
Prices
Individual Tickets
EVENINGS, 7.30pm
Tuesday - Saturday: £15 - £29*
MATINEES, 2pm
Wednesday and Saturday: £12.50 - £24*
Concessions
From £10*
*A £1 transaction fee applies to all bookings.
Accessibility
AUDIO DESCRIBED
- Thursday 29 January - 7.30pm
- Touch Tour - 6.15pm
- Saturday 31 January - 2pm
- Touch Tour - 12.45pm
BSL INTERPRETED
- Wednesday 4 February - 7.30pm
CAPTIONED
- Saturday 7 February - 2pm
Read The Lyceum's Access Statement: click here
Take Part
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION
Join us in the Stalls of the auditorium post-show and participate in a discussion about the piece with Assistant Director, Becky Hope-Palmer and the Faith Healer cast.
- Tuesday 27 January
Press Coverage
REVIEWS
Click the reviews for full article.
★★★★★
Allan Radcliffe, The Times
"...the suspenseful fascination of a thriller... radiates its own self-contained atmosphere..."
★★★★★
Anne Hamilton, Lothian Life
"Go and see it; you’ll not only reflect endlessly on the play, but on life, art and truth as well"
★★★★
Neil Cooper, The Herald
"Brian Friel's haunting dramatic meditation on the unreliable powers of an inconsistent muse..."
★★★★
Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
"...modern storytelling...Friel’s Faith Healer takes us into a different, spellbinding and yet strangely familiar world..."
★★★★
Mark Fisher, The Guardian
"...finely observed performances across a sequence of four monologues creates a compelling piece of theatre."
★★★★
Mark Brown, The Telegraph
"...a drama of real substance and intelligence, staged with great confidence."
★★★★
Alan Brown, Edinburgh 49
"He [Francis Hardy] walks across a cobbled yard and smack into classical tragedy"
★★★★
Hugh Simpson, All Edinburgh Theatre
" a bracing way to shake audiences from winter slumbers"
★★★★
Robert James Peacock, TV Bomb
"...thoughtful, poetic drama... intriguing performance"
★★★★
Liam Rudden, Edinburgh Evening News
"Emotional, funny, and tragic"
Thom Dibdin, The Stage
"sturdy revival... [Dove's] powerful framework, around which the frailties of recollection can be constructed."
PREVIEW PRESS
Click on the quotes for full articles
- "I've been wanting to do this play for years...this play in particular is so fascinating and tantalising and rewarding to watch and experience." Sean O'Callaghan (Frank) in The Herald
- "Brian Friel is a master story-teller, this is a beautifully written thriller really." Patrick Driver (Teddy) in Edinburgh Evening News
- "Brian Friel's play has the potential to be as haunting and lyrical an evening in the theatre as you can hope to see..." Lyn Gardner, 'Pick of the week' in The Guardian
- "It’s a play about our own version of the truth and how we remember it...Grace is an extraordinary character!" Niamh McCann (Grace) on Informed Edinburgh
- Listen to Sean O' Callaghan on BBC Radio Scotland's Culture Studio