''A Cry from Heaven'' is a 2005 play by Irish playwright Vincent Woods. It retells the story of the beautiful

Deirdre Deirdre ( , ; ) is a tragic heroine in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is also known by the epithet "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (). Deirdre is a prominent figure in Irish legend. American scholar James MacKillop (author), James MacKil ...

and the Sons of

Usna The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the sec ...

which is one of the great tragedies of Irish myth. The birth of a girl heralded by omens of a vulture-shrouded sky begins the drama of King

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories ...

and his obsession with Deirdre which led to a land divided. When Deirdre unites with her lover

Naoise In Irish mythology, Naisi,"Deirdre and Naisi". In: Thomas, Edward. ''Celtic stories''. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. 1911. pp. 48-60. Noíse or Noisiu (modern spelling: Naoise ) was the nephew of King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, and a son of ...

and goes into exile with the Sons of Usna, the stage is set for betrayal and bloodthirsty revenge that will plunge all

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

into darkness. The play is drawn from material in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle (), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Do ...

. Woods's poetic retelling of the myth of Deirdre transforms this timeless story into a compelling contemporary drama. The play had its world premiere at the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, in June 2005. It was directed by

Olivier Py Olivier Py (; born 24 July 1965 in Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French stage director, actor and writer. Career In 1997, Py became director of the Centre dramatique national d'Orléans. In 2007, he became director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon i ...

, and designed by Pierre-André Weitz. The cast featured Kelly Campbell as

, Alan Turkington as

Olwen Fouéré Olwen Fouéré (born 2 March 1954) is an Irish actress and writer/director in theatre, film and visual arts. She was born in Galway, Ireland to Breton parents Yann Fouéré and Marie-Magdeleine Mauger. In 2020, she was listed at number 22 on ...

as Ness, Denis Conway as Fergus, Bosco Hogan as Felim, Gabrielle Reidy as

Leabharcham Leabharcham was charged by the Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa with nursing Deirdre in seclusion until the girl was old enough to be his bride, after it was prophesied at Deirdre's birth: "The infant shall be fairest among the women of Ireland ...

, Barry McGovern as

Cathbad Cathbad () or Cathbhadh (modern spelling) is the chief druid in the court of King Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology. He features in both accounts of Conchobar's birth, in one of which he is the king's father. In the first ...

the druid, Ciarán Taylor as

Conor Conor is a male given name of Irish origin. The meaning of the name is "Lover of Wolves" or "Lover of Hounds". '' Conchobhar/Conchubhar'' or from the name ''Conaire'', found in Irish legend as the name of the high king Conaire Mór and other her ...

, Peter Gaynor as Ainle,

Aidan Turner Aidan Turner (born 19 June 1983) is an Irish actor. He began his career in the RTÉ medical drama '' The Clinic'' (2008–2009) and the BBC series ''Desperate Romantics'' (2009). He later gained attention for co-starring as one of the main lead ...

as Ardán, Tony McKenna as

White Bull White Bull (; April 1849 – June 21, 1947) later known as Joseph White Bull was the nephew of Sitting Bull, and a famous warrior in his own right. White Bull participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. Early life Born ...

, Charlie Kranz as Black Bull, and Shane Gately as Red Branch Soldier.

Reviews

A Review by Harvey O'Brien

References

Irish plays 2005 plays Works based on the Ulster Cycle {{2000s-play-stub