Love Thy Neighbour

Farmer, Michael Mullen’s marriage is going through a rocky patch. Not only has he bought his wife, Noreen a cookery book as an anniversary present and allowed his good-for-nothing brother, Charlie to stay, but his wife’s former lover, Claude Nolan has just moved in next door. Charlie tries to help by getting his friend, Maisie Looney to pretend she is interested in Michael in order to make Noreen jealous. But the plan backfires and gets Michael into deeper trouble.
Meanwhile, Claude, a corrupt garda, is investigating a supposed robbery at Charlie’s house, but discovers that it is an attempt to defraud the insurance company and blackmails Charlie. Charlie, a wily individual, comes up with a plan to keep Claude off his back by sowing the seeds of suspicion in the mind of Claude’s beautician wife, Ingrid that Claude and Noreen are having an affair. But Charlie is not wily enough to out-fox the ever-persistent Maisie Looney, who is desperate for a man. And Charlie also has a secret that could rock Michael’s marriage to its foundations.

List of characters:

Michael Mullen – a well-meaning, hard-working farmer in his late forties
Noreen Mullen – Michael’s wife, who is of similar age
Claude Nolan – Noreen’s ex-boyfriend, who is a corrupt Garda
Ingrid Nolan – Claude’s deeply shallow beautician wife
Charlie Mullen – Michael’s conniving and good-for-nothing brother
Jason Mullen – Michael and Noreen’s lazy student son
Kelly Nolan – Claude and Ingrid’s shallow and superficial daughter
Maisie Looney- a colourful local woman, who is desperate for a man
Dolores Caffrey – Noreen’s strident and no-nonsense friend, who is a bit of a gossip

Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Performed by:
Fal Agus Foscadh Drama Group, Clifden, Co. Galway – November 2005 (3 nights)
Bualadh Bos Drama Group, Oranmore, Co. Galway – February 2006 (2 nights)
Tyrrellspass Drama Group, Co. Westmeath – March 2006 (3 nights)
Inch Players, Inch, Co. Tipperary – March 2007 (4 nights)
Gaelic Park Players, Chicago – March/April 2008 (9 nights)
Kilmurray Drama Group, Co. Offaly – March 2008 (5 nights)
Moynalty Drama Group, Co. Meath – April 2008 (3 nights)
Seir Kieran Drama Group, Clareen, Co. Offaly – Nov/Dec 2008 (6 nights)
Lissenhall Drama Group, Co. Tipperary – Jan/Feb 2009 (6 nights)
Mullagh Entire Drama Group, Co. Clare – Feb/March 2009 (4 nights)
The Mullet Players, Co. Mayo – April/Aug 2012 (4 nights)
Aughawillan Drama Troupe, Co. Leitrim – February 2013 (4 nights)
Innishkeel Drama Group, Co. Donegal – April 2013 (3 nights)
Rahan Drama Group, Co. Offaly – March 2014 (3 nights)
The Knocks Drama Group, Co. Fermanagh – April/October 2014 (6 nights)
Ahakeera Drama Group, Co. Cork – January-March 2015 (12 nights)
Kilquan Players, Co. Kilkenny – February 2020 (5 nights)
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