The Freedom of the City at Jericho Arts Centre

THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY

by Brian Friel, directed by Joan Bryans When the police disrupt a peaceful civil rights protest, three unarmed strangers, Lily, a middle- aged mother and two young men, take refuge from the streets and find themselves in the Lord Mayor's office. As the three settle in, word spreads about its "occupation" and the motley trio are branded as terrorists and their position used to everyone's advantage except their own. Brian Friel's hard hitting examination of the nature of power is as relevant as we look at Gaza today as it was during the Troubles of Northern Ireland. Yet, while their situation as they hide out is dire, the unsuspecting trio amuse themselves, and us, in true Irish fashion. As Lily says of their time together "Lord, I enjoyed that. The talk was good. Wasn't the talk good."