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John Quested's adaptation of Brian Friel's play. Gar, a young Irish man, prepares to leave his dull Gaelic community and his seemingly insensitive father, to live with his aunt in Philadelphia. Gar has an alter ego, seen only by himself and the audience: the public Gar (Des Cave) holds back his true emotions, while the private Gar (Donal McCann) tells the brutal (and sometimes hilarious) truth. As Gar packs his bags, he and his inner self examine his relationships with his boorish dad, his former Sweetheart, his frustrated Schoolmaster, his shallow friends, and his loving housekeeper. 'Philadelphia, Here I Come' is a compelling essay on Ireland and it's emigre history, Ireland's relationship with America and what it means to be Irish. It is also a heartbreaking fable about growing up and making tough decisions, about fading dreams and lost loves.
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