''Living Quarters'' is a play written by

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription requ ...

and first performed in 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 ...

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 ...

, in 1977 in a production directed by Joe Dowling.

Dramatis Personae and Original Cast

: Sir (Clive Geraghty) The artificial narrator of the play. : Commandant Frank Butler (Ray McAnally) Early 50s, a career military man, father to Helen, Miriam, Ben, and Tina, husband to Anna : Helen Kelly (Fedelma Cullen) 27, divorced, a stylish woman now living in London : Miriam Donnelly (Maire Hastings) 25, a practical mother of three, married to Charlie Donnelly : Ben (Stephen Brennan) 24, lacks self-confidence, a "mother's boy." : Tina (Bernadette Shortt) 18, "the pet of the family." : Father Tom Carty (Michael O'hAonghusa) 64, chaplain to Butler's unit : Charlie Donnelly (Niall O'Brien) Early 30s, married to Miriam, a cautious court clerk : Anna (Dearbhla Molloy) Early 20s, Frank's second wife, mature and intelligent.

Summary

''Living Quarters'' is a memory play set in a

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...

's home in Donegal, near Friel's favourite fictional town of Ballybeg. It tells the story of the fateful day that Commandant Frank Butler returns a hero from a successful UN mission in the Middle East. His four children from his first marriage all return home for the celebrations, along with Frank's young wife, Anna. The extent to which Commandant Butler's first wife (deceased) dominated the family is obvious; Frank's son (Ben) suffered a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

on her death, and eldest daughter Helen is still scarred by her mother's opposition to her marriage to a private soldier. Unique is the way in which the story is told: not through conventional flashbacks, but through an artificial

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

, called Sir, who acts as arbiter and director, making sure that the characters' memories reflect

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...

. In an environment of people trying to reestablish connections with their family, Ben has a secret he shares with Anna, and the attempts to reveal that secret temporarily bring father and son back together, but ultimately lead to a grim conclusion. ''Living Quarters'' deals with accepting responsibility for one's actions. Critical acclaim was initially muted, but the play has enjoyed increased popularity in later years, including a season at the Greek National Theatre. Many have considered this play (a proud family with three sisters and a weak brother) to be a forerunner to Friel's masterpiece ''Aristocrats''. Living quarters also featured in the popular Call of Duty game Warzone as a location within the map. Living quarters was nicknamed "Livious Smegma" by many players.

References

External links

''New York Times'' review''Edinburgh Guide'' review
{{Brian Friel 1977 plays Plays by Brian Friel