Dear Mr Friel: Letters of a Celebrated English Theatre Director to a Young Irish Writer with an introductory essay by Brian Friel.
In 1962, after happening on one of his short stories in The New Yorker, Tyrone Guthrie wrote a fan letter to Brian Friel. This led to a series of meetings, a long friendship and, famously, an invitation to the fledgling playwright to Minneapolis to be an ‘observer’ at the newly opened Guthrie Theatre. Within months of his return Brian Friel had written Philadelphia, Here I Come!. Constantly encouraging and supportive, this correspondence reveals some surprising lapses of judgement. In one long letter Tyrone Guthrie expresses his reservations about whether two actors playing Gar Private and Gar Public would work on stage.
The playwright’s instinctive genius prevailed. Nonetheless this privately held cache of letters and postcards demonstrates the influence of an eminent and senior figure in the English-speaking world of theatre on Ireland’s leading playwright.
Additional information
| Weight | 260 g |
|---|---|
| Choose Type | Hardback |
Preview
Book Information
Publication date: 21 June 2025
Details: 72pp
ISBN HBK: 978 1 91737 114 8
Cover: Photograph: Brian Friel speaking at the opening of The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, 10 October 1981
Photograph of Tyrone Guthrie courtesy of The Tyrone Guthrie Centre
Customer Satisfaction
Customer Service
We’re happy to help. Send your queries to books@gallerypress.com
Shipping
Secure Checkout
Fast, encrypted and secure payments for a worry-free checkout.