Philadelphia, Here I Come

Part of Ely Landau's 1970s American Film Theatre series, this stage-to-screen production of the play by Irish playwright Brian Friel is directed by John Quested.

The play, a compelling essay on Ireland and its emigré history, shows how the ties that bind us are often the very things that identify us and give us a sense of existence, belonging and purpose.

Gar (Donal McCann), a young Irishman, prepares to leave the depressing environment of his home town and migrate to his aunt's home in Philadelphia, America.

In dialogue with his alter ego, 'Private Gar' (Des Cave) - who appears on a screen that only Gar and the audience can see - the repressed 'Public Gar' ruminates on the advantages and disadvanteges of his departure, discussing his family, friends and ex-girlfriend with humour and tenderness.