Mike quizzes Nanna on why Pats was in the house, but she replies, “Must a mother answer to her only son? Is there no respect for old people?” Mike is exasperated and says that it is hard trying to be a good son and a good husband, showing the difficulty he faces in trying to Read More …
Two weeks have passed since the end of the last scene and we see Nanna alone on stage as there is a knock on the door. Pats enters and says that he has been waiting for the past hour to get Nanna alone in the house. Nanna tells him that Sive has gone to town Read More …
A common question in the Junior Cycle exam is being asked to stage a scene, either from an unseen extract you have just read or a scene from your studied Shakespearean text. When you are answering this question, you must back up your decisions with references to your drama extract or text. A good way Read More …
When Liam leaves, Mena tells Mike that he has to go see the priest. Sive enters after hearing the commotion and asks if Liam Scuab has been there. Mena tells her that he was and that he came to wish Sive well. Sive is astonished at this and Mena tells her that ‘he’s going away Read More …
Liam Scuab has come to the house looking for Sive but Mena informs him that Sive is not there despite the fact that he saw her bike in the yard. Mena warns Liam that he is not wanted in the house and that there will be consequences if Mike sees him there. Liam says that Read More …
As they hear Sive approach, Mena tells Thomasheen to go and she will sort the marriage by herself. Sive enters and tells them that her bike had a puncture. Mena offers her tea and cake before her dinner and the stage directions show that she is, ‘too surprised to reply.’ Mena is putting on a Read More …
Alone now with Mena and Nanna, Thomasheen accuses Nanna of spreading his business, which is supposed to be a secret. He is condescending and threatening towards Nanna when he says, “You are a lone woman with your husband feeding the worms in his trench. You have terrible gumption with no one left to back you.” Read More …
Later that night, Sive is doing her schoolwork in the house, while Mena is washing a shirt and Mike is stitching. There is a knock on the door and we see that Thomasheen and Sean Dota have come to visit. The stage directions tell us that Sean Dota, ‘looks for a moment gloatingly at Sive,’ Read More …
After Mena and Mike leave the stage in a hurry, Nanna is seen on stage alone, smoking her pipe, which she has to hide from Mena. While alone, a man named Liam Scuab enters. He is described as ‘good looking and manly.’ He tells us that he saw Thomasheen running away from the house and Read More …
Mike enters and tells Mena about the good day he had at the fair and we can see that their fortunes have improved in recent times and that business is good. However, when Mike says, ‘money is the best friend a man ever had, ‘ the audience would be aware of the danger of the Read More …