© JOHAN PERSSON
Josie Rourke’s production of Dancing at Lughnasa, at the National Theatre until the end of May, is a magisterial example of how to revive a modern classic. This memory play, written by Brian Friel, premiered in 1990 at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre and swiftly established itself in the international repertoire—the 1998 film with Meryl Streep was more a symptom than a cause of its impact. The play shouldn’t be a star vehicle but a seamless ensemble piece, a glimpse into the lives of five County Donegal sisters in 1936. It is the story of a household and how it falls apart.