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A Couple of Blaguards, the rollicking autobiographical Irish comedy written by award-winning authors (and brothers) Frank McCourt and Malachy McCourt will return to Chicago’s Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St, for a limited four-week engagement, beginning Saturday, November 25, 2006.
In 1988, before Angela’s Ashes and A Monk Swimming made “McCourt” a household name, the two McCourt brothers, Frank and Malachy, first introduced Chicago audiences to their charming childhood tales in A Couple of Blaguards at the Royal George. This updated production features New York veteran Jariath Conroy (as Frank) and popular former Chicago actor Howard Platt (as Malachy) sharing reminiscences (and the stage). Incidental Irish music adds to the celebration.
Like their best-selling books, Frank McCourt and Malachy McCourt’s A Couple of Blaguards is an autobiographical account of their years growing up in poverty in Ireland. Though times were tough in Limerick, the tales spun by the brothers McCourt simmer with bittersweet recollections, ferocious humor and a parade of colorful characters- from the priest who warns of sinners’ eyeballs exploding in Hell to the McCourt grandmother who spits on Frank’s unruly “Presbyterian hair” to tame it.
According to Malachy McCourt, “This show is the result of Frank and me listening to the stories of our elders which in turn tunes the ear, the eye and the tongue to observe and give voice to even the most trivial of events. I think we had more fun than anyone writing and performing Blaguards, which has become an affectionate term for the rowdy, outgoing, and sometimes drinking sort of boys. If you don’t have a good evening, you should have yourself checked to make sure you haven’t died during the day.”
A Couple of Blaguards runs at the Royal George Theatre Main Stage Saturday, November 25, 2006, through Sunday, December 24, 2006. Tickets can be purchased at the Royal George Theatre box office, by calling 312-988-9000 or 312-902-1500, or visiting www.Ticketmater.com.