The project has now started to catalogue over 3,000 manuscript pages and prepare them for online access, in a new partnership between Queen’s University, the National Library of Ireland and JSTOR Forum.

The main papers we are working with are manuscript drafts of five plays: Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964), The Freedom of the City (1973), Faith Healer (1979), Translations (1980), and Dancing at Lughnasa (1990). The manuscripts reveal how Friel drafted and revised these plays over time. His notes show his reflections on plots, characters, themes and staging. On completion of the digital archiving, audiences around the world will be able to pore over the papers digitally, exploring the creative genesis of these renowned and well-loved works of our shared cultural heritage for themselves.

Starting in Autumn 2021, we are excited to partner with Bruiser Theatre Company to bring Friel’s work to new audiences.

Bruiser’s highly skilled physical theatre practitioners will work with people from diverse backgrounds, exploring the many ways that Friel’s work relates to contemporary life. Our partnerships with Hazelwood Integrated College, the Stronger Together network, Hydebank Wood Secure College and the Belfast Interface Project will allow us to engage with a wide range of people, many of whom will experience Friel’s work for the first time.