Broadway to dim lights in honour of Brian Friel

Broadway theatres will dim their lights and a memorial service will be held next month to honour the late Brian Friel.

The Irish Repertory Theatre will host the memorial service on December 7th, at the Samuel J Friedman Theatre, and the lights ceremony will take place the following evening.

The simultaneous dimming of lights to honour the passing of a prominent theatre professional is a New York tradition, started in the 1950s. At curtain up, the lights shut down in all theatres for one minute.

Friel, who died last month, aged 86, produced more than 30 plays over six decades. His best-known works were Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964), Aristocrats (1979), Faith Healer (1979), Translations (1980) and Dancing at Lughnasa (1990).