Joe Crilly facts for kids

Joseph Crilly (born 1962, died 2017) was an Irish writer who wrote plays. He was from a place called Derrymacash in County Armagh, Ireland. Later, he lived in London for over 30 years. There, he worked as an actor, a journalist, and even a social worker. In the 1990s, he was the arts editor for a newspaper called the Irish Post.

About Joe Crilly's Plays

Joe Crilly is most famous for a group of three plays he wrote. These plays are all about Ulster, a part of Ireland. The first play was Second-Hand Thunder (written in 1998). The second was On McQuillan's Hill (written in 2000). The last one was Kitty & Damnation (written in 2009).

The Crilly Trilogy

These three plays are often called The Crilly Trilogy when they are published together. A trilogy means a set of three works. His plays often explored life and stories from Northern Ireland.

On McQuillan's Hill

One of his most well-known plays is On McQuillan's Hill. It was first performed at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast in Northern Ireland. Many years later, in 2020, the play was brought back to the stage. This time, it was shown at the Finborough Theatre in London.

The 2020 show was directed by Jonathan Harden. It was the first time the play was performed in England. The show got great reviews from critics. For example, the Morning Star newspaper gave it five stars. The Stage newspaper gave it four stars. Because of these good reviews, all the tickets for the four-week show were sold out!