''This Lime Tree Bower'' is an early play by

Conor McPherson Conor McPherson (born 6 August 1971) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director of stage and film. In recognition of his contribution to world theatre, McPherson was awarded a doctorate of Literature, Honoris Causa, in June 2013 by the Un ...

. The title is taken from the 1797 poem of the same name by

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake ...

.McNulty, Charles
"Review: ‘This Lime Tree Bower’"
''Variety'', May 24, 1999

Productions

The play was originally produced by Fly By Night Theatre Company, which was formed by McPherson and others. It was performed at the Crypt Arts Centre,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

in October 1995 and directed by McPherson. The play transferred to the Bush Theatre, London, running in July 1996 to 6 August, starring Ian Cregg (Joe), Conor Mullen (Ray), and Niall Shanahan (Frank). The played opened Off-Broadway at Primary Stages on 19 May 1999. Directed by

Harris Yulin Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American actor who has appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Scarface'' (1983), ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), '' Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), '' Looking for Richard' ...

, the cast featured

T.R. Knight Theodore Raymond Knight (born March 26, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the P ...

(Joe), Drew McVety (Ray) and Thomas Lyons (Frank). The play was revived in London by Theatre 503 and the Young Vic in February 2005. Directed by Yael Shavit the cast featured Keith Dunphy (Jim), Michael Colgan (Frank), and Tom Vaughan Lawlor (Joe). Michael Billington noted: "As a text, it also highlights McPherson's strengths: his sense of place, eye for detail and sensitivity to Ireland's gregarious solitude."

Plot summary

The play is an account of coming of age in small town Ireland, told by three young men. The central characters are Joe, the youngest, who is bored with school and looking for adventure. His brother Frank is working full-time in the family chipper (a fish and chips shop) and hatches “his great plan” to solve all the family’s troubles. Lastly, their friend Ray the debauched university lecturer who is dating their sister Carmel.

Critical response

In a review of a 2016 production in Dublin, the reviewer wrote: "'This Lime Tree Bower' stands at a short 80 minutes but feels like less. In this time, the ensemble delivers a genuine and skilled performance. The performance is not groundbreaking in its originality but does provide a great sample of McPherson’s quintessential dark humour, casual fecklessness, and problematic masculinities."

Film

Conor McPherson turned this play into a movie titled ''

Saltwater Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...

'' which he also directed. The film, release in 2000, starred Brian Cox''Saltwater''
bbc.co.uk, accessed 9 April 2016 and was shot in

. ''Saltwater'' won the CICAE award for best film at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

References

{{Meyer-Whitworth Award Plays by Conor McPherson 1995 plays