From Druid/Murphy to

During the same years that Brian Friel was associated with Field Day, Tom Murphy began working closely with the Galway-based Druid Theatre company. In its early years, Druid had established its reputation primarily with productions of Synge’s work; however, beginning in the mid-1980s, the company began to work closely with Murphy, whoseBailegangairewould be one of the most important plays of the decade. The association between writer and company culminated in 2012 with the DruidMurphy cycle, a production of three of Murphy’s major plays that toured internationally to critical acclaim. Examining the plays, their production and marketing, this chapter explores the relationship between the playwright and the company, as it went through a series of distinct phases, leading to DruidMurphy, one of the most important Irish theatre events of its time.