Juno and the Paycock

Set in a Dublin tenement during the Irish Civil War, Juno and the Paycock by Sean O’Casey follows the Boyle family as they struggle to survive poverty, instability and false hope. Captain Jack Boyle avoids responsibility through bravado and drink, while his wife Juno works tirelessly to hold the family together. When news of an unexpected inheritance promises a better life, optimism briefly replaces hardship. However, as debts are incurred and dreams unravel, the fragile balance of the household collapses. Against a backdrop of political unrest, the play blends sharp wit with deep compassion, exposing the devastating effects of war, inequality and selfishness on ordinary lives, and revealing the quiet strength required to endure when hope proves fleeting.

Seán O’Casey is one of Ireland’s most influential playwrights, renowned for his vivid portrayal of working-class Dublin and his fearless engagement with Ireland’s turbulent history. Juno and the Paycock is the second play in his celebrated Dublin Trilogy, alongside The Shadow of a Gunman and The Plough and the Stars. Written from O’Casey’s own experiences of tenement life, the trilogy charts the impact of political conflict on ordinary families during the revolutionary period. In Juno and the Paycock, O’Casey sharpens his blend of humour and tragedy, focusing on the domestic consequences of war rather than the heroics of nationalism. The play stands at the emotional heart of the trilogy, offering a deeply human examination of survival, responsibility and endurance in times of upheaval.