UT/TAPS presents By the Bog of Cats. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. —Arizona Daily Star. The Ghost of Joseph Swane: Hester's brother's ghost returns to the Bog of Cats to find out why Hester killed him. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. However, Hester is still alive, so the Ghost Fancier realizes he is too early. She also interrupts the bride’s father’s toast in order to make her own speech about her son. During By the Bog of Cats, the conflict between Hester and Carthage centres around his attempts to force Hester to leave her home on the bog and give him sole custody of their daughter. 1 $ & ' By the Bog of Cats *BB+ 5 6 A 5 " 5 Medea ü During their relationship, Hester encouraged Carthage to have ambitions beyond his social class as a labourer's son, even giving Carthage the money to buy his first land. A 2004 revival of the play in London’s West End starred Hollywood actress Holly Hunter in the role of protagonist Hester Swane. The production was directed by Kay Martinovich, and featured Tracy Michelle Arnold as Hester, along with Mark Montgomery, Mary Ann Thebus, and David Darlow in the principal roles. She is very greedy and constantly focuses on issues of social class and money. Carthage Kilbride: Carthage is Hester's former lover with whom she shares a daughter, Josie Kilbride. When Jason leaves her for another woman, Medea kills their children, Jason’s new bride, and the bride’s father. Hester’s neighbour,[2] Monica, enters and attempts to convince Hester to accept the impending marriage between Hester’s former lover, Carthage, and his much younger bride, Caroline Cassidy. I think it … Wrong. The Ghost Fancier exits and says that he will return at a later time. The Ghost Fancier is watching her and she tells him that she used to play with the swan when she was young. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Everyone seems to … It is loosely based on the Greek myth Medea. Set in the bogs of rural Ireland, Carr's lyrical and timeless play tells the story of Hester Swane, an Irish traveller with a deep connection to her land. When Josie begs Hester not to leave her, Hester slits her throat in order to spare her the same fate of living without her mother. He comes back at the end of the play after Hester kills Josie, and Hester kills herself. Susan Lynch as Hester Swane in By the Bog of Cats. "[5] Charles Spencer, in a scathing article for the Telegraph, states that Marina Carr "delivers little more than a ludicrously rich stew of over-heated tosh" in By the Bog of Cats. Hester scorns Caroline and reminds her that Hester was once her babysitter. Shortly after Xavier, Carthage arrives and is outraged to see the fire destroying the home and the livestock. Carthage swears that he will take Josie away from Hester by having her declared an unfit mother. Hester believes that Xavier was in love with her mother and attempted to woo her before she left the Bog. She is a generous, loving little girl who enjoys spending time with both her mother, father and mean-spirited, greedy grandmother. Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2015. Mrs Kilbride, Carthage’s mother, wears a white dress to the wedding and poses in pictures with her son like a bride and groom. The play opens with Hester carrying a dead swan through the snow to bury it. She is very resentful that Carthage has left her to marry Caroline Cassidy, the daughter of wealthy landowner Xavier Cassidy so that he can inherit the Cassidy farm. Hester informs him that Carthage took Joseph’s money, used it to buy land for himself, and left Hester for another woman. Mrs Kilbride and Xavier Cassidy attempt to violently eject Hester from the wedding, while Hester’s neighbour Monica chides them for being too hard on Hester. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Even her daughter calls her a “jezebel witch,” and the rest of the community uses it as a derogatory term in reference to her. By Marina Carr Directed by Conor Gallagher Set in the ghostly landscape of the bogs of Ireland, By the Bog of Cats traces the desperate journey of Hester Swane, as she fights for respect in the face of a lover’s abandonment and a society that derides her lineage. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. By the Bog of Cats is a riveting play, given a riveting production by The Rogue. When Jason leaves her for anot… As her house blazes behind her, Hester talks with the ghost of her brother, Joseph Swane, and explains that she did not kill him for money; rather, she envied his relationship with their mother. Elements of this production were slightly satirical. "[2] Xavier Cassidy, Caroline’s father, also visits Hester to urge her to leave. 4.6 out of 5 stars 43. As a further insult, she is being forced off of her land by Carthage and his new father-in-law, Xavier Cassidy. [7], By the Bog of Cats is characterized by supernatural elements, such as ghosts, curses, and prophecies. 00 $10.00 $10.00. She eats mice and drinks milk from a saucer. This is a really dark story. Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2015. It was dark and foreboding and eerily beautiful. [11], "Blarney Gets the Better of Hunter in a Tortured Irish Stew", "By the Bog of Cats review: a warped family drama", "Interview with Marina Carr, Ireland's leading female dramatist", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=By_the_Bog_of_Cats&oldid=1004022966, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 January 2021, at 19:23. "[7], By the Bog of Cats returned to Dublin's Abbey Theatre from August–September 2015. She is the same age that Hester was when her mother left her and the Bog of Cats. The main parallel between Medea and By the Bog of Cats is the way Hester Swane, the heroine, enacts her revenge on her disloyal husband, Carthage Kilbride. This act depicts the marriage of Caroline Cassidy and Carthage Kilbride, which is disrupted by various individuals, both real persons and ghosts. My rating: 3 of 5 stars Like many a literary work of the so-called postmodern period, Marina Carr’s famous 1998 play By the Bog of Cats is a critical echo chamber of prior texts, whether near or far in space and time from its setting in the Irish midlands in the late 20th century. It's visceral and heartbreaking, and the passion of the main character fairly leaps off the page. Finally, the Catwoman is acknowledged by the characters as a psychic: she speaks of the many visions she has had that came true, and during his wedding Carthage asks her for a prediction. By the Bog of Cats - Acting Edition (Acting Edition for Theater Productions) Caroline is very meek and follows orders from both Xavier and Carthage. [2] Though she says she doesn't know any “black art things,” her connection to the spiritual world is real, specifically marked by her ability to speak to ghosts. Please try again. "[2] When she is finally forced to leave the wedding, Hester swears revenge and yells: “You’re lavin’ me no choice but a vicious war against ya." We bought this book so we could read the story before attending the play at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin next month. 'By the Bog of Cats' by Marina Carr This is a modern, Irish play, set in rural Ireland, that deals with loss, despair and destructive revenge. This work has dealt with three plays of the Irish woman playwright Marina Carr. Good play, this version needs some editing of the text. [4], The American premiere was staged by Irish Repertory of Chicago, opening May 31, 2001. By the Bog of Cats, playing at the Wyndhams Theatre on The Charring Cross Road, is a new play by the Irish playwright Marina Carr that seeks to rework one of the most famous of the Athenian tragedies, Medea. 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