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| The Freedom of the City | |
|---|---|
 Program cover from the London premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, 1973. | |
| Written by | Brian Friel |
| Characters | Michael Hegarty Lily Doherty "Skinner" Fitzgerald Dr. Dodds Brigadier Johnson-Hanbury Liam O'Kelly Father Brosnan Police Constable Judge Dr. Winbourne Professor Cuppley |
| Date premiered | 23 February 1973 |
| Place premiered | Abbey Theatre, Dublin |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | The Troubles, Bloody Sunday |
| Setting | Guildhall, Derry in Northern Ireland, 1970 |
The Freedom of the City is a 1973 play written by Irish playwright Brian Friel. The play is set in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1970 during the Troubles, and follows three civil rights protestors who mistakenly find themselves in the Mayor of Derry's parlour in the Guildhall after attending a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march. Their presence in the Guildhall is mistakenly interpreted as an occupation, and the play depicts the protestor's final hours in the Guildhall, a failed escape attempt which leads to their killing at the hands of the British security forces and the resulting tribunal into their deaths. Friel had originally intended on writing a play set in Derry after moving to the city in 1968, and changed its contents after being present at the Bloody Sunday massacre in January 1972.