''Ballyturk'' is a play by

Enda Walsh Enda Walsh (born 1967) is an Irish playwright. Biography Enda Walsh was born in Kilbarrack, North Dublin on 7 February 1967. His father ran a furniture shop and his mother had been an actress. He is the second youngest of six children. Walsh ...

. Walsh states that ''Ballyturk'' should
‘bypass the intellect and go straight to the bones.’"
The play was first performed at the Black Box Theatre, Galway on July 14, 2014 in a co-production between

Landmark Productions Landmark Productions is a theatre company, theatre production company in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 2003 by Anne Clarke (theatre producer), Anne Clarke. The company has forged partnerships with writers and other companies, and has toured its show ...

and the

Galway International Arts Festival The Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF), founded in 1978, is a cultural organisation that produces an annual arts festival in Galway, Ireland. It also produces new work that tours nationally and internationally, in addition to presenting ...

. and subsequently at the

Olympia Theatre, Dublin The Olympia Theatre, branded since 2021 for sponsorship purposes as the 3Olympia Theatre, is a concert hall and theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Dame Street. In addition to Irish acts, the venue has played host to many well-known in ...

Cork Opera House Cork Opera House is a theatre and opera house in Cork in Ireland. The first venue opened in 1855 on Emmet Place (then known as Nelson's Place) to the rear of the Crawford Art Gallery. This original building was destroyed by fire in 1955, and ...

and National Theatre in London. It was the winner of the award for Best Production at the 2015

Irish Times Theatre Awards The ''Irish Times'' Irish Theatre Awards recognise outstanding achievements in Irish theatre. History The awards were founded in 1997 by ''The Irish Times''. Awards were established in numerous categories, ranging from design, to acting, to ov ...

The 2014 production starring

Cillian Murphy Cillian Murphy ( ; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. His works encompass both stage and screen, and his accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 pl ...

has been compared to Dylan Thomas’s ''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh people, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The BBC commissioned the play, which was later adapted for the stage. The first public reading was in New York City in 1953. A Under Milk Wood (1972 film), f ...

''. In 2017, the play was revived 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 ...

and in early 2018 played at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY. In this revival - again produced by

and

- Tadhg Murphy played 1, Mikel Murfi returned as 2 and Olwen Fouere played 3.

Synopsis

Two unnamed male characters (1, in his late 30s, and 2, in his mid-40s)Ballyturk, NHB Modern Plays, live in a single-room dwelling and discuss an imaginary town in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

called Ballyturk. Later, the rear wall of the dwelling opens to reveal the outside world. A third, older, unnamed male (3) enters from the outside and explains that one must stay and the other leave. The wall closes with 3 outside. After deliberation, 1 leaves to join 3 and 2 stays. The wall reopens and 1 leaves. 2 stays and 1 is replaced in the dwelling by a seven-year-old girl.

Original cast

as 1 * Mikel Murfi as 2 *

Stephen Rea Stephen Rea ( ; born October 31, 1946) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a member of Dublin's Focus Theatre, and played many roles on the stage and on Irish television. He came to the attention of inte ...

as 3 and others

References

{{Reflist 2010 plays Plays by Enda Walsh