On Blueberry Hill cover art

On Blueberry Hill

 Preview

Try for £0.00
Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

On Blueberry Hill

By: Sebastian Barry
Narrated by: Niall Buggy, David Ganly
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £5.99

Buy Now for £5.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

On Blueberry Hill is the latest Audible Original theatrical event, from international best-selling novelist and acclaimed writer, Sebastian Barry.

Best friends and worst enemies, Christy and PJ are destined to spend their lives together over the next 20 years in prison. Reflecting on the events and experiences that led them to the present day, this slow-burning tale explores hope, acceptance and forbidden love. Directed by Jim Culleton with music by Denis Clohessy, On Blueberry Hill is a powerful exploration of freedom, friendship and forgiveness. With outstanding performances from Irish Times Theatre Award and Olivier Award winner, Niall Buggy (Christy) and West End and Broadway star David Ganly (PJ).

The stage performance of On Blueberry Hill was presented by Trafalgar Theatre Productions, in association with Hill Street Productions and Incidental Colman. It was Fishamble: The New Play Company’s production, performed at Trafalgar Studios in London, United Kingdom in 2020, and produced by Daniel Brodie, Matt Parritt, and Eva Scanlan. The play was originally produced by Fishamble at the Dublin Theatre Festival 2017 and on international tour, including a run at New York’s 59E59 Theaters as part of First Irish, supported by the Arts Council and Culture Ireland. Photo by ‘Muse Creative Communications’.

©2020 Sebastian Barry (P)2020 Audible, Ltd Drama & Plays European Ireland Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Thought-Provoking

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Echo Chamber cover art
Mr Finchley Discovers His England cover art
Long Way Gone cover art
Reverie cover art
Wolfe Island cover art
From Hereabout Hill cover art
An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club) cover art
Yellowstone Heart Song cover art
The Black Mountains cover art
The Law of Moses cover art
The Storyteller cover art
Devil's Fjord cover art
What the Wind Knows cover art
The Echo of Old Books cover art
Aberystwyth Mon Amour - The Walking Tour cover art
The Songbook of Benny Lament cover art
Niall Buggy
David Ganly

About the Performer

Niall Buggy is one of the leading Irish actors of his generation who has worked extensively on the stage and screen in Ireland, the UK and the US. Most recent theatre includes: Beckett Trilogy (Jermyn St Theatre), Furniture by Sonya Kelly (Druid Theatre), You Never Can Tell (The Abbey Theatre), St. Joan (Donmar Theatre, London), The Importance of Being Earnest (Harold Pinter Theatre), Translations (Sheffield Crucible), The Hanging Gardens (Abbey Theatre) and A Whistle in the Dark with the Druid/Murphy season, The Invisible (Bush Theatre), Plough and the Stars (Lyric, London and The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin), Translations (Broadway), Penelope (St Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn), and Haunted by Edna O Brien. Some of his better known roles include: the title role in Brian Friel’s Uncle Vanya, for which he won Best Actor at The Irish Times Theatre Awards and for his role as Casimir in Aristocrats for which he won the Time Out Award, Obie Award in New York, Drama Desk Award and a Clarence Derwent Award. He also received the Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in Dead Funny. His performance in Juno and the Paycock won him Best Actor in the TMA Awards.

About the Performer

A native of Dublin, David trained at The Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College. Theatre credits include: Frank Burke in Conor Mc Pherson’s Girl from the North Country (Gielgud Theatre, Royal Alexandra Theatre Toronto & Noel Coward Theatre), PJ in On Blueberry Hill (Dublin Theatre Festival, Paris and New York), Willy in Aristocrats (Donmar Warehouse), Bank Manager in Once (Olympia Theatre, Dublin), Valene in Lonesome West (The Tron Theatre, Glasgow), Fluther in The Plough & The Stars (Abbey Theatre, Dublin and US and Irish Tour), Vanya in Uncle Vanya (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Seumus Sheils in Shadow of a Gunman (Abbey Theatre, Dublin and Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Burbage in Shakespeare in Love (Noel Coward Theatre), Macheath in The Threepenny Opera (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Kent in King Lear (Theatre Royal Bath), Lumpy Flanagan in Drum Belly (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Munt in Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith), Macbeth (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Lenny in Of Mice and Men (Young Vic), Amos in Chicago (Cambridge Theatre, London), Originated Fr Welsh in Martin McDonagh’s The Lonesome West (Druid Theatre, The Royal Court, Sydney Festival and the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway), Brendan in The Weir (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Telegin in Peter Hall’s Uncle Vanya (Rose Theatre) Ted in Billy Roche’s The Cavalcaders (Abbey Theatre, Dublin / Tricycle heatre), Mick Flanagan in The Field (Tricycle Theatre), Manus in Brian Friel’s Translations (National Theatre), Horatio in Rupert Goold’s Hamlet (Theatre Royal Northampton), Roulston in Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Abbey Theatre Dublin), Americans and The Quare Fellow (Oxford Stage Company Tour and Tricycle Theatre), John Bull’s Other Island (Tricycle Theatre), Brendan in The Weir and Estregon in Waiting for Godot (Rupert Goold, Theatre Royal, Northampton), Dave in The Full Monty (The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London), The Contractor (Oxford Stage Company), Stephen Pimlott’s Doctor Dolittle, The Talented Mr Ripley (Watford), Amphibians (YMCA, Wexford), Dancing at Lughnasa (Rupert Goold, Salisbury Playhouse).

Critic reviews

“Steeped in a luminous wonder that makes you want to weep for what you take for granted in your daily existence.” (The New York Times)

“Full of warm wit and language you want to luxuriate in, it features two brilliant performances.” (The Standard)

“Ganly and Buggy movingly investigate the events that brought their characters together, their respective monologues beautifully shaped, mesmerizing, and mysterious.” (The New Yorker)

What listeners say about On Blueberry Hill

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    186
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    179
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    166
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Smiley

Outstanding audio theatre

A beautifully crafted story full of sharp dark comedy and through its excellent dialogue and acting, it is a journey into the harrowing and yet the sublime existence of two lives formed by the agonising regret of their past lives. Amazing and moving, hilarious and powerfully poignant. A gem of audio theatre.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for ADEVINE Property Services

Brilliant

Great play, fabulous actors. A really great listen, I couldn't recommend it more... wonderful proformance

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User

Outstanding writing, outstanding acting.

Excellent: captivating, profoundly moving, powerfully acted. I very much recommend this piece of well-crafted listening.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for zimalu

Excellent

Such a lovely production of a very nice Sebastian Barry play. I have now started reading his novels!

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Howard Crosskey

Irish storytelling

The script is almost lyrical as the prisoners share their engaging stories. I stumbled upon this recording following Barry’s beautiful A Thousand Moons and Says Without End - what a find. I’d didn’t know he was a playwright too. Will be looking eagerly for his next piece of theatre coming to London.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Miss Nicola Davies

Wonderful

Everything about this is perfect. Sebastian Barry’s writing is clear, beautiful and deeply humane. The story has the feeling of truth and the two performances are incredible. I can’t recommend this highly enough. For a story with such darkness this shines in the gloom

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kindle Customer

captivating and engaging.

perfectly performed, catching the essence of the two characters. had to listen in one go

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for C

Weird and some how wonderful

This production held me from beginning to end, love the language, the characters, the intimacy and tension . Really did not know what to expect from this. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great story telling .

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Fran

The genius of Sebastian Barry

I have loved the writing of Sebastian Barry for years. Everything I have read by him has been an extraordinary pleasure. This is no exception. Barry's writing and his ability to write in the voices of these two men, together with two actors who totally inhabit his creations, make for an extraordinary listening experience. Christie Maguire in particular is pure Dublin - a mad, intelligent, educated gurrier. Loved listening to the music of the voices I grew up with. So refreshing to be treated to such brilliant acting! Christie nails Blueberry Hill at the end. Thank you.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Jennifer Buggy

Spectacular

this production had me spell bound from beginning to end. It's powerfully performed by Niall Buggy and David Ganly who perfectly portrayed the characters. I just hope now I get the chance to see it live I enjoyed it so much

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!