The Playboy of the Western World

At the edge of the earth, you could be anyone.

Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub claiming that he's killed his father.

Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. The welcome murderer wins hearts and races as he beds himself into village life. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene...

John Millington Synge's riveting story of youth and self-discovery has been celebrated for decades. This new edition was published to coincide with the National Theatre's 2025 production with a cast that included Nicola Coughlan as Pegeen Flaherty, Éanna Hardwicke as Christy Mahon and Siobhán McSweeney as Widow Quin.

Features notes by Christopher Collins, University of Nottingham.

Author: J. M. Synge
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Published: 01/08/2026
Series: Modern Plays
Pages: 96
Weight: 0.28lbs
Size: 7.81h x 5.06w x 0.25d
ISBN: 9781350624832