In this section we look at the heritage of Ireland - its scholars and scribes, the archaeology of the country and traces of people who have inhabited the island over the years.

Marie Jones’ Stones In His Pockets continues its run at the Duke of York’s (0207 369 1791) in London’s West End. The play, about an American film being made in Co. Kerry, sees two actors play all 15 roles — from the pretentious Irish-American film star Caroline Giovanni to the Irish film extras.

Those plays that come with the tagline ‘based on a real story’ should also normally come with a health warning. But Alone It Stands, John Breen’s warm and funny tale about Munster’s famous victory over the mighty All Blacks in 1978 bucks the trend.

The death of Munster captain Donal Cunnife’s father during the game provides telling pathos, but the play’s strength lies in its dynamic dexterity, in one case moving effortlessly from a childbirth scene to a rugby scrum. Subtle it ain’t, but Alone It Stands presses all the right buttons — even if it is with a sledgehammer. Box-office, Duchess Theatre, London WC2. 0870 890 1103.

Dubbed the ‘enfant terrible’ of British theatre, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore has arrived at London’s Barbican with nine months of hype on its back. The play revolves around INLA psychopath Mad Padraic who likes nothing better than a good bit of torture or bombing. When the one true love of his life, his cat Wee Thomas, is killed he is determined to exact a bloody revenge on those responsible.

The Lieutenant Of Inishmore is like a cartoon strip from the pen of the bastard son of John Millington Synge and Quentin Tarantino. The play aims to satirise the Irish republican movement and it certainly lives up to its reputation for violence and comedy — but cheap gags do not necessarily make a fantastic play. As a result, The Lieutenant of Inishmore is more Father Ted than revolutionary theatre. In repertory. The Pit Theatre, Barbican, London EC1, box-office: 0207 638 8891.

Dublin playwright Colin Teevan has adapted the ancient Chinese myth of the magic Monkey King to create one of the most exuberant and enjoyable plays you’re likely to see for some time. The set and costumes are also impressively lavish, with Monkey making his entrance on a cloud, and some beautiful monsters.

Also worth a mention are the colourful programmes, which feature the unexpected novelty of two pages of stickers. Kids are sure to love this show, young ones and grown-up ones alike. The Young Vic, 66 The cut, London SE1 (0207 928 6363). Runs until January 26, returns only. Kilburn’s Tricycle Theatre (020 8328 100) has followed last year’s revival of The Wexford Trilogy with another play from the pen of Billy Roche.

Written in the aftermath of the acclaim which greeted his trilogy, The Cavalcaders does not veer far from Roche’s template of small-town Ireland and its accompanying petty jealousies. The performances are spot on but the play’s narrative structure does lurch as past and present collide in a sometimes ungainly manner. Nevertheless, Roche’s rueful comic prose still has plenty of resonance, even if the play (first premiered in 1994) seems a little dated today.