Character Breakdown
All characters speak with an Irish Dialect.
[Francie
Brady]: Male, 18+ to play a teenager. Energetic, playful and
unstoppably youthful. He loves his parents and Joe, and believes his
life is perfect just the way it is. Develops a furious obsession with
Mrs. Nugent and her son Phillip, who in his mind seem to look down on
him and his family. He has to avoid the violent urges brought on by the
voices in his head (manifested as four pigs) and try to keep his life
together even as everything falls apart. Strong Bari-Tenor. Has great
comic timing, incredible depth beneath his youthfulness.
[Joe
Purcell]: Male, 18+ to play a teenager. Francie’s best friend. Although
Francie never seems to age mentally, Joe very much grows from boy to
man, and befriends Phillip Nugent. He loves Francie but grows
increasingly concerned and distant as Francie’s tendencies grow more
violent. Strong BariTenor. A youthful boy who grows into a smart young
man.
[Ma]: Female, early–mid 30’s. A frail woman who is hospitalized
for suicidal tendencies early on in the show. Francie loves his mother
and seems not to see or process any of her problems with mental health
until it’s too late. Her relationship with her husband has fallen into
bitterness due to his alcoholism and abuse. Soprano.
[Da]: Male,
early–mid 30’s. An ex-musician who has since become an alcoholic and is
abusive to his wife and child. Francie loves his father and seems not to
see or process anything about his cruelty until very late in the show.
When Da finally opens up about his youth as a musician and how he first
fell in love with Ma, it’s already too late. Baritone.
[Mary/Mary/Mary]:
Female. The first Mary is in her mid-to-late 30’s and owns the candy
store in town. She is an old flame of Alo’s, and when he returns for the
Christmas party, their cursed romance is briefly reignited. The second
Mary is the 16-year-old daughter of William and Kathleen. She is young,
but wants to be old, and acts out by going out to dance. She shares a
tender moment with Francie and may be the only person who ever truly
sees who he really is. The third Mary is the Virgin Mary. Ageless and
pristine, she offers emotional and spiritual guidance to Francie,
although it seems she may have ulterior motives. Soprano.
[Phillip
Nugent]: Male, 18+ to play a teenager. Mrs. Nugent’s son. The same age
as Francie and Joe, only raised in England. He is the constant subject
of Francie and Joe’s adolescent pranks. Very shy and quiet. In Francie’s
imagination, he is quite often personified as a cartoonish dandy,
trying to woo Joe away from him with promises of a better life. Strong
Tenor. Has excellent comic timing.
[Mrs. Nugent/Kathleen]: Female,
late 30’s–early 40’s. Mrs. Nugent is Phillip’s mother and Francie’s
neighbor. An Irish woman who has spent some years living and raising her
son in England. After Francie and Joe steal Phillip’s comic books, she
chews out Francie’s mother, and refers to the Brady family as a bunch of
pigs. This sparks Francie’s mad obsession with her, which eventually
develops into murderous urges. Kathleen, meanwhile, is the matriarch of
the family who takes Francie in when he runs away to Dublin. She is
sweet and matter of fact, but often tries to see the bright side. Alto.
[Alo
Brady/William]: Male, late 30’s-early 40’s. Alo Brady is Da’s brother
and Francie’s uncle. He went to London, and is known throughout the town
as being the one who was able to make it out. He is an old flame of
Mary’s, and when he returns for the Christmas party, their cursed
romance is briefly reignited, until it is revealed that he has a wife
back in London. William, meanwhile, is the patriarch of the family who
takes Francie in when he runs away to Dublin. He is matter of fact and
pessimistic, a firm believer that the world is about to end any second.
Bari-Tenor.
[Four Pigs] Any ethnicities, all shapes and sizes. The
pigs are the narrators of the piece, a kind of Greek chorus, as well as
the physical manifestation of Francie’s psyche. They also represent
Francie’s deep-seated obsession with the sanctity of his own childhood,
and they see Mrs. Nugent as the greatest threat to his way of life. As
Francie’s life continues to fall apart, they continually try to convince
him to take out his aggression on her. In the end, they succeed, at
which point they disappear, leaving Francie finally alone. All four have
great range (all are many parts) and terrific comedic timing. Written
for a Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass split.
Pig 1 - Male, 30s-50s.
Embodies many figures of authority, including Father Dom, Mr. Purcell,
Father Fox and Others. Inside Francie’s head, he is the Commander.
Pig
2 - Female, late 20s-40s. She embodies Francie’s gentler side and is
the Peacekeeper of the 4 pigs. Mrs. Kearney, Shopkeeper, Blondie and
many others.
Pig 3 - Female, late 30s-50s. The Matron, the most
maternal of the 4 pigs, embodies Francie ’s deep and tragic connection
with his mother. Mrs. Connolly, Innkeeper, and Others.
Pig 4 - Male,
40s-50s. He embodies Francie’s most violent urges. The Butcher in the
butcher boy’s head, and the loudest of the 4 pigs. Mr. Connolly, Mr.
Leddy and Others.
Although
Francie never seems to age mentally, Joe very much grows from boy to
man, and befriends Phillip Nugent. He loves Francie but grows
increasingly concerned and distant as Francie’s tendencies grow more
violent. Strong BariTenor. A youthful boy who grows into a smart young
man.
[Ma]: Female, early–mid 30’s. A frail woman who is hospitalized
for suicidal tendencies early on in the show. Francie loves his mother
and seems not to see or process any of her problems with mental health
until it’s too late. Her relationship with her husband has fallen into
bitterness due to his alcoholism and abuse. Soprano.
[Da]: Male,
early–mid 30’s. An ex-musician who has since become an alcoholic and is
abusive to his wife and child. Francie loves his father and seems not to
see or process anything about his cruelty until very late in the show.
When Da finally opens up about his youth as a musician and how he first
fell in love with Ma, it’s already too late. Baritone.
[Mary/Mary/Mary]:
Female. The first Mary is in her mid-to-late 30’s and owns the candy
store in town. She is an old flame of Alo’s, and when he returns for the
Christmas party, their cursed romance is briefly reignited. The second
Mary is the 16-year-old daughter of William and Kathleen. She is young,
but wants to be old, and acts out by going out to dance. She shares a
tender moment with Francie and may be the only person who ever truly
sees who he really is. The third Mary is the Virgin Mary. Ageless and
pristine, she offers emotional and spiritual guidance to Francie,
although it seems she may have ulterior motives. Soprano.
[Phillip
Nugent]: Male, 18+ to play a teenager. Mrs. Nugent’s son. The same age
as Francie and Joe, only raised in England. He is the constant subject
of Francie and Joe’s adolescent pranks. Very shy and quiet. In Francie’s
imagination, he is quite often personified as a cartoonish dandy,
trying to woo Joe away from him with promises of a better life. Strong
Tenor. Has excellent comic timing.
[Mrs. Nugent/Kathleen]: Female,
late 30’s–early 40’s. Mrs. Nugent is Phillip’s mother and Francie’s
neighbor. An Irish woman who has spent some years living and raising her
son in England. After Francie and Joe steal Phillip’s comic books, she
chews out Francie’s mother, and refers to the Brady family as a bunch of
pigs. This sparks Francie’s mad obsession with her, which eventually
develops into murderous urges. Kathleen, meanwhile, is the matriarch of
the family who takes Francie in when he runs away to Dublin. She is
sweet and matter of fact, but often tries to see the bright side. Alto.
[Alo
Brady/William]: Male, late 30’s-early 40’s. Alo Brady is Da’s brother
and Francie’s uncle. He went to London, and is known throughout the town
as being the one who was able to make it out. He is an old flame of
Mary’s, and when he returns for the Christmas party, their cursed
romance is briefly reignited, until it is revealed that he has a wife
back in London. William, meanwhile, is the patriarch of the family who
takes Francie in when he runs away to Dublin. He is matter of fact and
pessimistic, a firm believer that the world is about to end any second.
Bari-Tenor.
[Four Pigs] Any ethnicities, all shapes and sizes. The
pigs are the narrators of the piece, a kind of Greek chorus, as well as
the physical manifestation of Francie’s psyche. They also represent
Francie’s deep-seated obsession with the sanctity of his own childhood,
and they see Mrs. Nugent as the greatest threat to his way of life. As
Francie’s life continues to fall apart, they continually try to convince
him to take out his aggression on her. In the end, they succeed, at
which point they disappear, leaving Francie finally alone. All four have
great range (all are many parts) and terrific comedic timing. Written
for a Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass split.
Pig 1 - Male, 30s-50s.
Embodies many figures of authority, including Father Dom, Mr. Purcell,
Father Fox and Others. Inside Francie’s head, he is the Commander.
Pig
2 - Female, late 20s-40s. She embodies Francie’s gentler side and is
the Peacekeeper of the 4 pigs. Mrs. Kearney, Shopkeeper, Blondie and
many others.
Pig 3 - Female, late 30s-50s. The Matron, the most
maternal of the 4 pigs, embodies Francie ’s deep and tragic connection
with his mother. Mrs. Connolly, Innkeeper, and Others.
Pig 4 - Male,
40s-50s. He embodies Francie’s most violent urges. The Butcher in the
butcher boy’s head, and the loudest of the 4 pigs. Mr. Connolly, Mr.
Leddy and Others.
