Frank McGuinness
Born in Buncrana, County Donegal, Frank McGuinness lives in Dublin and lectures in English at University College Dublin.
His plays at the Abbey Theatre include The Factory Girls, Carthaginians, Baglady, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme which received the London Standard Most Promising Playwright Award, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, Harvey’s Best Play Award, the Cheltenham Literary Prize, the Plays and Players Award, the Ewart Briggs Peace Prize and the London Fringe Award. It was revived by the Abbey in 1994 and toured Ireland, Britain and Europe. It was staged at the Lincoln Center, New York in 2003 and again at the Abbey in 2004. His version of Lorca’s Yerma played in 1987, The Bird Sanctuary opened in 1994, Dolly West’s Kitchen played at the Abbey Theatre in 1999 before transferring to the Old Vic, London, where it was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2001. His adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck was performed in 2003 and A Doll’s House was performed in 2005.
Innocence, his play based on the life of Caravaggio, opened at the Gate Theatre in 1986. The first English production of Carthaginians took place at Hampstead Theatre in 1989, Mary and Lizzie (RSC, 1989) came next and preceded three productions at the Gate Theatre – a new translation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters in 1990 directed by Adrian Noble and starring the Cusack family, and in 1991, The Bread Man and a version of Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera starring Marianne Faithfull.
The celebrated Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me was first performed at the Hampstead Theatre in 1992 before transferring to the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End and to the Booth Theater on Broadway, winning accolades including the Independent on Sunday Play of the Year Award, the New York Critics’ Circle Award and the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play. It was also nominated for an Olivier Award and a Tony Award.
His adaptations include Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya (for Field Day in 1995), Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle (National Theatre, London, 1997), Sophocles’ Electra received a Tony nomination in 1999 for Best Revival (Donmar Warehouse and Barrymore Theater, Broadway), Ostrovsky’s The Storm at the Almeida Theatre in 1998 and Miss Julie (Haymarket, 2000).
Mutabilitie opened in 1997 at the National Theatre, London. Gates of Gold opened at the Gate Theatre in 2002. His version of Hecuba played at the Donmar in 2004. Speaking Like Magpies played at the RSC, 2005. His version of Phaedra was at the Donmar in 2006. His dramatisation of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, directed by Patrick Mason and produced by H M Tennent Productions, toured Britain in 2005. There Came a Gypsy Riding premiered at the Almeida in 2007. His version of Oedipus starring Ralph Fiennes was produced at the National Theatre, London in 2008. Helen opened at the Globe in 2009. His most recent play, Greta Garbo Came to Donegal, received great acclaim when it was performed at the Tricycle, London in 2010.
His work on Ibsen has been performed throughout the English-speaking world, including versions of Rosmersholm (National Theatre, London, 1987), Peer Gynt (Gate 1988, RSC 1994, National Theatre, London, 2000), Hedda Gabler (Roundabout, Broadway 1994), A Doll’s House (West End and Broadway, 1996) which won four Tony Awards, including Best Revival, The Lady from the Sea (Arcola 2008), The Master Builder (Irish Rep, New York, 2008) and Ghosts (Duchess Theatre, West End, 2010).
Frank’s work for film and television includes Scout, The Hen House, Talk of Angels, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Stronger (BAFTA nomination), A Short Stay in Switzerland (Broadcast prize, Best single play and a BAFTA nomination) and Crocodile, broadcast by SKY Arts Playhouse Live in July 2010.
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