GUTTED, an Irish play by writer Sharon Byrne, has now been published as a book.
The production, a black comedy which was directed by Chris White, originally toured the UK for a short run in later 2019, following its appearance at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Set in a 1980’s Dublin fish-factory, Gutted explores the lives of three strong women, played by Eleanor Byrne, Niamh Finlay and Sarah Hosford, with dark humour and tenderness.
Byrne draws on her own experience growing up in Dublin to present the lives of her three main characters.
Through comic monologue, the women give us a snapshot of the characters and challenges in their lives at the time.
Exploring themes of family, trust, love and loss, Byrne touches on issues of domestic violence and abortion, which remain as relevant today as they were over 30 years ago.
She explains: “Growing up close to a fish factory in Dublin, I was intrigued by the charismatic and resilient women who I’d see travelling to and from work there.
“They were tough, hard-working women, but they never stopped chatting and laughing.
“Life as a woman in Ireland still has its – often suppressed – challenges, and I felt compelled to raise awareness of these issues and help break the silence.”
This month Gutted was released in book format.
Published by Pretty Pug Publishing, it can be purchased here or through Harbour Books and Amazon Books.
