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	The Eagle Bar Theatre 11-13, 15-19 May, 8:30pm-10:15pm
Suitable for age 15+ only.  2-for-1 tickets for Friends of the Fringe members.

2011 was a breakthrough year for the Harbour Theatre Company: The M Boat, their sell-out reminiscence of a 1950’s brewery barge, picked up a coveted Argus Angel award (as well as a 5-star review from us at FringeGuru).  This time round, they’re back with an updated, yet still distinctively Irish tale – and we’ve high hopes for another entertaining gem from these highly talented players.

Last year’s show felt as relaxed and homely as storytelling round a campfire, wrote our reviewer Catherine Meek.  There were folk songs, a banjo, and a naïve love story; but despite its lighthearted air of public-house music and song, the comedic troupe of characters stayed both credible and engaging.  The credit’s due to writer-director Eddie Alford and some superb acting from his versatile cast, who swapped in and out of their likeably rustic roles with apparently effortless ease.

Things will be different this time, though; with their new play Murphy’s Legacy, the Harbour Theatre Company fast-forwards 40 years.  It’s 1994, the Celtic Tiger economy is flexing its claws, and the Catholic church is about to descend into scandal.  We’re promised satire, corrupt politicians and, incongruously, pig racing… and it remains to be seen whether the gentle lilt of The M Boat translates to the more modern style.  But it’s the same writer, same director, and the same laid-back venue; let’s hope they have the luck of the Irish.

Read our full review of The M Boat at the Brighton Fringe in 2011.