Why She Loves Playing a Hateful Character in ‘The Ferryman’
Performers
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Of course Dearbhla Molloy, who originated the role in the London production, was scheduled to stay with show until its January closing. But when it extended through July due to rave reviews and strong ticket sales, McDonough knew she had a shot. On February 19, she joined the Tony-nominated play as Aunt Pat alongside a new cast led by Brian d’Arcy James as the patriarch of the Carneys, a sprawling Irish clan grappling with The Troubles in 1981.
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“The Carneys are living in a fairy-tale world,” explains McDonough. “These boys are dying, and that’s the story I don’t want them to overlook. That’s why Aunt Pat’s such a bummer!” Her surly attitude earns her the name “old bitch” among her grandnieces. “It’s kind of fun to be hateful,” McDonough concedes with a laugh.
To prepare for the role, McDonough did some ancestral research and even sent her family tree to a genealogist. She’s 100% Irish, yet her Western Irish relatives never spoke of Northern Ireland’s ethno-nationalist conflict. So she’s been reading books and just completed a jigsaw puzzle outlining Irish history. Learning more about The Troubles has been “completely hair-raising,” she says, “but I love what all of this has opened up for me.”
As much as McDonough is enjoying the role, she’s glad to have plenty of downtime during the three-act play so she gets breaks from all the ranting. During these stretches, she hangs out with the cast’s understudies in the green room where there’s always a “wild game” of Bananagrams in session. “The kids might drift in, and then we see if there are any birthdays to look forward to,” she says. “With the cast, crew and 10 understudies, there’s usually at least one each week and we have a fabulous cake.” There’s also a whiskey bar in the men’s dressing room and the women indulge in pink champagne on Saturdays.
In fact, to hear her tell it, the theatrical Ferryman family sounds as close and quirky as the Carneys — just without all the political strife and romantic intrigue. “Fred [Applegate], Fionnula [Flanagan] and I are like the old elephants at the circus, though we subscribe to a certain amount of decorum,” McDonough says. “I started a special skills challenge. Matilda [Lawler], who plays the youngest little girl, and I can put our fists in our mouths, Terry [King] can juggle, and Emily [Bergl] has a wild war cry. It’s a lovely group of people.”
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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for The Ferryman. Go here to browse our current offers.
Allison Considine is a staff writer at American Theatre magazine. Follow her at @theatric_ally. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.
Top image: Ann McDonough in The Ferryman. Photos by Joan Marcus.
Allison Considine is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor. Follow her at @theatric_ally. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.