THE BUTCHER BOY

Patrick McCabe's classic novel tells the story of Francie Brady, a young boy growing up in a small town in Ireland in the early 60's. Though the world around him is as sure as ever of an imminent nuclear attack, Francie lives a carefree life playing with his best friend Joe Purcell, and spending the evenings with his Ma and Da. But when he picks on his England educated neighbor Phillip Nugent, Phillip's mother angrily refers to Francie's family as a bunch of pigs, sparking a violent obsession which grows as Francie's life falls apart around him.

Muldoon’s musical adaptation began as a senior project in high school, which was then workshopped and premiered at the Irish Repertory Theater in 2022 while he was still an undergraduate. The original production was directed by Ciaran O’Reilly and starred Nicholas Barasch as Francie Brady, who earned Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle nominations for his performance.