Tom Murphy (playwright) facts for kids

Tom Murphy (born February 23, 1935 – died May 15, 2018) was a famous Irish writer. He wrote many plays for the stage. Tom worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. He also worked with Druid Theatre in Galway. He was born in County Galway, Ireland. Later, he lived in Dublin.

His first successful play was A Whistle in the Dark. It was shown in London in 1961. This play caused some debate in London and Dublin. The Abbey Theatre first said no to it. But they later showed it in Ireland.

Tom Murphy's Early Life

Tom Murphy was born in Tuam, County Galway. He was the youngest of ten children. Many of his older brothers and sisters moved away. They went to Birmingham, England. Tom stayed with his mother.

He played Gaelic football when he was young. He was a centre half back for the Galway team. This was in the early 1950s. He went to Archbishop McHale College in Tuam. He also worked at the Tuam Sugar Factory. Later, he became a metalwork teacher at his old college.

How Tom Murphy Started Writing

Tom started writing plays in the late 1950s. He once said, "In 1958, my best friend asked me to write a play." He thought it was a normal question. Many people in Ireland were writing plays then.

His second play was A Whistle in the Dark. He wrote it in his kitchen in Tuam. He used his free Friday and Saturday nights. This play won a competition for amateur plays. It was shown in London in 1961. The Abbey Theatre had first turned it down.

In 1975, his play The Sanctuary Lamp was shown. It was at the Abbey Theatre. Some people did not like it. They felt it was against the Catholic Church. Some people even walked out of the theatre. There was a lot of negative talk about it. After this, Tom Murphy worked as a farmer for some years.

Tom Murphy passed away on May 15, 2018. He had a wife, Jane Brennan, who is an actress. He also had three children from his first marriage. The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, spoke about him. He said Tom Murphy's work was very important to Irish theatre.

Tom Murphy's Plays and Themes

Many people think Tom Murphy was one of Ireland's best playwrights. In 2001, the Abbey Theatre honored him. They showed six of his plays in a special season.

His plays include Famine (1968). This play is about the Great Famine of Ireland. This terrible time happened between 1846 and 1847. Another play is The Sanctuary Lamp (1975). He also wrote The Gigli Concert (1983). Many people think Bailegangaire (1985) is his best work. He also wrote Conversations on a Homecoming (1985). This one is a comedy set in a bar.

Tom Murphy liked to try new things in his plays. A Whistle in the Dark felt very real. But The Morning After Optimism was more dream-like. The Gigli Concert used amazing language.

His plays often explore big ideas. They look at finding hope when things are hard. They also explore suffering. His work is deeply Irish. But it does not use old, common ideas about Ireland. Instead, he looked at themes like violence and sadness. Yet, his plays always had humor and love.

Tom Murphy said there was "rage" inside him. He felt this rage was natural. It was there when he started writing. He said it was not rage against life being unfair. He knew life was unfair. But it was rage against unfairness and powerful people.

Younger playwrights have been inspired by him. These include Conor McPherson and Martin McDonagh. Tom Murphy's later plays include The Wake (1997) and The House (2000). His play The Alice Trilogy first showed in 2005. It was at the Royal Court Theatre in London. In 2006, he directed the same play in Dublin. In 2009, his play The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant was shown. It was at the Abbey Theatre.

In 2010, Tom Murphy directed his play The Sanctuary Lamp. It was performed in London.

List of Tom Murphy's Plays

• On the Outside (1959)
• A Whistle in the Dark (1961)
• The Orphans (1968)
• A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant (1969)
• The Morning After Optimism (1971)
• The White House (1971)
• On the Inside (1974)
• The Vicar of Wakefield (1975)
• The Sanctuary Lamp (1975)
• The J Arthur Maginnis Story (1976)
• Famine (1977)
• Epitaph Under Ether (1979)
• The Blue Macushla (1980)
• The Informer (1981)
• The Gigli Concert (1983)
• Conversations on a Homecoming (1985)
• Bailegangaire (1985)
• A Thief of a Christmas (1985)
• Too Late For Logic (1989)
• The Patriot Game (1991)
• She Stoops to Folly (1995)
• The Wake (1997)
• The House (2000)
• Alice Trilogy (2005)
• The Last Days of a Reluctant Tyrant (2009)
• Brigit (2014)