Northern Theatre Harag György Company

The Cripple of Inishaam is the first and only Hungarian translation of the Isle of Aran trilogy by Martin McDonagh, the world-famous Irish-born film director, playwright and screenwriter.

The story is set in 1930s Ireland, on a remote island. In the land of Inishmaan, news of the outside world - for example, that a man with a „strange moustache” has become head of state in Germany - rarely, if ever, reaches the land of Inishmaan. The handful of members of the community, isolated from the rest of the world, are manic figures. They drive each other mad with their endless, obsessive banter, yet their community is held together by a strange mutual affection that makes the grotesque world of the island intimate. It is this seemingly irresolvable contradiction that makes McDonagh's work a true black comedy.

Amongst the islanders teetering on the edge of existence, Billy Claven is the black sheep, the „cripple”, the eternal target, whose main „obsession” is hope and faith, perhaps too much so. Hope in a love that can never be repaid, and a stubborn belief that he is destined for more than being the island's downtrodden, lame fool.

One day Billy learns that an American film is being made on the island next door. He convinces the crew to take him to Hollywood, where he might one day become a famous movie star. But can he leave his homeland behind for good, where hope and faith only disturb the bizarre order of everyday life?