THE WIND COMING OVER THE SEA [2025}. My first musical, based on the 1840s letters of Henry and Jane Johnson and filled with traditional songs of Ireland and Britain, was commissioned by Blyth Festival and ran from June 26 to Aug 12, returning from Sept 25 to Oct 5.
Cast: three men, three women (and an optional small child).
(c) Lyon Smith 2025
PRODUCTIONS
The world premiere of The Wind Coming Over the Sea was directed by Gil Garratt and ran June-October 2025 on the Margaret Stephens Stage at Blyth Festival, Ontario.
REVIEWS
'The best original offering at the Blyth Festival since 2017… heartbreakingly sad and tragic in one minute and uproariously funny in the next… A masterpiece.' - Huron Citizen
‘A beautifully tender, unflinching look at the promise and peril of emigration, stitched together like a warm quilt... Overflowing with emotionally engaging traditional ballads and live Irish folk music, a new work of clarity and compassion.’ - Frontmezzjunkies.com
'Equal parts heart-warming and tragic, as Donoghue takes an unflinching look at an ongoing piece of Canada’s story.' - Kincardine Record
‘The heartbreaking, elegiac play by best-selling Canadian author Emma Donoghue (“Room”) marks yet another triumph for the Blyth Festival… She turns their untutored eloquence into monologues of piercing intimacy and longing. Donoghue also makes liberal use of Irish music (she has described The Wind Coming Over the Sea as a “folk musical”) recognizing that music was one of the few things cash-strapped and desperate immigrants could bring with them from home… The device works brilliantly.' - OntarioStage.com
'Masterfully weaves historical authenticity with contemporary resonance .. transforms their intimate letters into a sweeping narrative that speaks powerfully to our present moment. ... The Wind Coming over the Sea soars through the magic of its script, songs and sincerity. For the show is also a celebration of the power and possibility of immigration: a paean to taking bold risks ... a toe-tapping, heart-stirring reminder that every immigrant’s journey weaves another thread into our collective tapestry.' - Sesaya Arts Magazine (Toronto)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rebecca Tucker, 'Writer Emma Donoghue taps into the Irish immigrant experience with new play at Blyth,' Globe and Mail, 18 June 2025 https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article-writer-emma-donoghue-irish-immigrant-experience-play-blyth-festival/
'How an Irish famine footnote inspired Emma Donoghue's new musical,' Feature on CBC television's news programme, The National
'How Emma Donoghue's new musical stands up for immigrants then and now,' Interview by Tom Power on CBC radio's arts programme Q https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zehvsFTQtPEuizHs7hooR
EXTRAS
Study guide to the play https://blythfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Study-Guide-The-Wind-Coming-Over-the-Sea_FINAL-21.pdf