In the run-up to their production later this week, we talked to the team behind the show, on the power of personal connection to such a poignant piece.

Anya Gera - Director

This play means a lot to me, and in truth, I think it will mean something to everyone. Philadelphia, Here I Come! is a play, first and foremost, about emigration. Gar (the protagonist) decides to pick up and move away from his fictional hometown (Ballybeg) in Ireland to Philadelphia in America.

The entire play centres around the eve of his departure to a place he knows nothing about. We can see indecision about his choice to leave throughout the play as him and his conscious toy back and forth.  I have loved bringing this play to life not only because moving to a place I had never been to before left me with recognisable internal conflict (which I’m finally getting to unpack!), but also because this play is so multi-faceted. Trying to get across the characters’ inability to communicate with each other, as well as their evident emotional attachment to one another, has been super interesting from a director’s perspective.

"Trying to get across the characters’ inability to communicate with each other, as well as their evident emotional attachment to one another, has been super interesting"

Fionn Clarke – Assistant Director

C.S. Lewis, upon moving to England from Belfast, commented: ‘The strange English accents with which I was surrounded seemed like demons.’ An element of this certainly resonates with me, especially given the dominance of English canonical plays in Cambridge theatre. My worst suspicions of English indifference—and ignorance— of Irish politics were confirmed when, in my first term, I was asked if the IRA was the national army of Ireland.

Assistant directing an Irish play here has been an experience: I have tried to not only accent coach, but also to explain the cultural nuances and political significance of Friel’s language. Though not overtly political, Philadelphia, Here I Come! offers a glimpse into the Irish psyche, and the attitudes of a small, rural town. Having come from a small village in Ireland myself, Gar’s conflicting feelings of claustrophobia and entrenched loyalty, are all too familiar.

Given recent political developments, I believe the need for showcasing Irish culture in the UK has never been greater: the future of Ireland hangs on a pendulum, and Anglo-Irish relations must be strengthened if peace is to be maintained. Coming to see Philadelphia may not quite be enough to prevent future Troubles, but it is guaranteed to be a brilliant evening, no matter your identity. It is impossible not to empathise with Gar, struggling to communicate mental anguish to his elders, whilst continually tormented by an inner conscience.

"The future of Ireland hangs on a pendulum"

Maddie Lynes – Actor, playing Madge

Playing Madge in ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ has been a great way to get into Cambridge Theatre. Aside from playing a woman in her sixties, one of the most enjoyable parts of this role so far has been learning a Donegal accent, which meant picking the brains of Emilie Dorrian and our AD, Fionn Clarke, watching a lot of ‘Derry Girls’, and just accepting when your accent strays from Irish to Scottish, to Scouse, to Australian and anywhere in between... 

This play is surprisingly wacky and funny, which provides a stark contrast to the dreary life of Ballybeg. I’ve really enjoyed acting opposite Will Leckie and exploring the close yet ultimately emotionally repressed dynamic of these characters. 

Rehearsals have been really fun, packed, and fast-paced, and it’s been particularly exciting to watch the two-hander scenes between Public (Will Leckie) and Private (Tom Hilton) Gar evolve. Both actors bring such incredible energy to the story. 

Audiences coming to see ‘Philadelphia’ will be in for a very entertaining evening but should also expect to feel the force of an intense emotional punch.

‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ will run from Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd at the Robinson College Auditorium, with performances starting at 7.30pm