Speaking Like Magpies

Frank McGuinness was born in Buncrana, County Donegal, in 1953. He lives in Dublin and lectures in English at University College, Dublin. His many plays include The Factory Girls (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in 1982), Baglady (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1985), Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Abbey Theatre, 1985; Hampstead Theatre, London, 1986, and winner of the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright), Innocence (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 1986), Carthaginians (Abbey Theatre, 1988; Hampstead Theatre, London 1989), Mary and Lizzie (RSC, 1989), The Bread Man (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 1991), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Hampstead, West End and Broadway, 1992), The Bird Sanctuary (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1992), Mutabilitie (Royal National Theatre, 1997) and Dolly West's Kitchen (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1999; Old Vic, 2000). His numerous translations include Chekhov's Three Sisters and Uncle Vanya, Brecht's The Threepenny Opera, Ibsen's Rosmersholm, Sophocles's Electra and Ostrovsky's The Storm. Faber publishes many of McGuinness's plays in its Contemporary Classics series, in Frank McGuinness Plays 1 and Plays 2.