great theatre in Oxford - Dancing at Lughnasa

Sadly, I have neither seen the movie, nor read the book. However, I did thoroughly enjoy the play, by Brian Friel at Oxford Playhouse. Dancing at Lughnasa, written in 1990, is set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg, during the Celtic autumn festival of Lughnasa. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, during the summer in his aunts' cottage when he was 7 years old. The play describes a bitter harvest for the Mundy sisters, a time where dreams and realities are evaluated against the harsh Catholic expectations of the time. The five Mundy sisters are all unmarried and orphaned. They are supported by the eldest sister Kate, a school teacher. Agnes and Rose knit gloves to be sold in town, to earn a little extra money for the household. Maggie and Christina, Michael's mother keep the house. The elder brother Jack, previously the heroic missionary in Africa returns home unwell in body and somewhat lapsed in morals... Michael's charming nomadic father circles the house, attempting to lure Christina, who seems a bit wiser now. While it is clear that the bubble is about to burst, we are thankful that we only hear it from Michael's memory.