How is the stage musical, A Man of No Importance, different than the film of the same name?
SF: There are actually quite a few significant changes. The characters, a lot of them, have secrets. I think one of the things the piece is about is the nature of love: Miss Rice [played by Sally Murphy] is a young woman who is unmarried and pregnant and Alfie Byrne, the bus conductor, is in love with the young driver of the bus [Robbie, played by Stephen Pasquale], who, in turn, is in love with a married woman [played by Jessica Molaskey]. These are all different relationships that are not accepted in the world of Dublin 1964. The whole subplot with Robbie involved with the married woman — that’s not in the film. That’s something that Terrence has created. It really helps, I think, to have that triangle. Alfie and Robbie bond because of that — knowing who they love is not accepted. It makes the piece more interesting and rich. PBOL: The role of Miss Rice is heartbreaking and speaks to the inexplicable nature of love: The idea that you can’t control who you love. SF: In the film, with
