Set over three days in a Dublin labour/flu ward during the Great Flu of 1918, THE PULL OF THE STARS (adapted by Donoghue from her bestselling novel of the same name) is a drama and unexpected love story springing from the harshest conditions of war and pandemic.
Keywords: Ireland hospital pandemic nurse doctor women feminist labour birth pregnancy midwife history war lesbian same-sex Black
Premiered at Gate Theatre Dublin, April/May 2024
Genre: Drama, Historical, Adaptation
Acts: 1
Run time: 105 minutes
Content notes: Being about childbirth and serious illness, the play is full of potentially triggering material.
Cast size: 7 actors
Female roles: 7
Casting notes: Bridie is mixed-race (Black and white)
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'Faultless, stellar production that tears your heart out' - Sunday Independent
'This fascinating show gets up to its elbows, literally, in the messy process of bringing forth new life ... a whirlwind of action and tension. The sheer intimacy is powerful, both awful and awesome. ... This is a powerful side-room version of Ireland's foundation story: compelling, rewarding and eye-opening.' - Irish Independent
'A busy chamber piece swollen with righteous anger ... few will emerge unmoved or uninterested ... surges with such unapologetic sincerity and informed compassion' - Irish Times
'A neatly structured tale of forced proximity that explores the class and gender dynamics of early 20th-century Ireland.... intense physical drama ... rich emotional texture as the play's tone shifts from comic to tragic ... a poignant and unsentimental portrait of a world where fleeting moments of tenderness yield little consolation for physical and emotional pain.' - Financial Times
'What shines through, especially in the fine, committed performances, is a passionate urge for a better, fairer society.' - Guardian
'Entertained, educated, and had your heart ripped out... this is a play that will become a favourite, and it could not be more highly recommended' - Irish Farmers Journal
'The touching, human heart of this play [is] her budding, unlikely relationship with Bridie, and its transformative effect on her life.- Irish Examiner
'[Donoghue] makes a comfortable return to the stage, in one of the best pieces of new Irish theatre for some time. ... Donoghue is a master of intertwining social stories by creating complete and courageous female characters.' - No More Workhorse
'Enjoyable and exciting, a burlesque of flaring fireworks ... a lot to admire' - The Arts Review
