Story, boy? I’m bringing my north side play back on the road

This spring, I’m bringing my theatre play The Story back on the road for a short run of performances across County Cork.

It has been almost three years since I last stood on stage performing this work. Returning to it now feels both exciting and unsettling.

There is a particular vulnerability in resurrecting a piece of theatre after time has passed. The world has moved on. I have moved on.

And yet, you hope that what once connected so strongly with audiences still lives within the work - that you can capture again the energy, joy, and meaning that made those earlier performances so rewarding.

Revisiting The Story has given me space to reflect on how the piece came into being and how it evolved over time.

I don’t write or perform theatre full-time. It exists alongside a busy professional life and a full family life.

When I’m not actively working on a script or preparing for a run, I’m often completely removed from the theatre world - apart from the occasional night spent sitting in the audience myself.

That distance can be difficult. You go from being immersed in the heart of creative work to standing on the outside, searching for a way back in.

It’s a tricky path to navigate, and one that many artists who work outside traditional structures will recognise.

What I do know is this: I love writing for theatre, and I feel deeply at home on stage.

Over the past decade, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to learn from and collaborate with some outstanding theatre practitioners.

These include a theatre mentorship under Julie Kelleher, working with Ray Scannell as dramaturg on one of my earlier plays, and partnering with Eoin Ó hAnnracháin as I ventured out with my first script.

Each of these experiences shaped not just my work, but my understanding of storytelling and performance.

I had previously acted in a Corcadorca production and was always in awe of the work they created. That admiration eventually led me to Civic Trust House, where I met Pat Kiernan and Fin Flynn. I pitched them a loose idea: a wannabe detective searching for his missing friend on the north side of Cork. At the time, I had no real sense of what the piece was about - only a character, a world, and a feeling.

Under Pat’s guidance, the script slowly took shape. The process was exciting, demanding, and deeply rewarding.

Writing a good script is never easy, and I learned that lesson quickly. Eventually, Pat directed me in performing the piece at SHOW, the annual theatre development festival at the Theatre Development Centre in the Triskel.

Working so closely with someone of Pat’s experience was a privilege, and during that time I learned a great deal about playwriting, storytelling, and theatre craft.

From there, The Story began to travel. I performed at the West Cork Fit Up Festival with Geoff Gould, as part of the Fastnet Film Festival’s live performance programme - where I was invited back the following year - and in venues all across Cork.

The run included a week-long engagement at the Cork Arts Theatre in the city.

What began as a drama evolved into something more playful than I ever expected. As the performances grew, humour emerged in places I hadn’t initially imagined.

The play became a light-hearted look at a desperate man, told through his obsession with Sherlock Holmes. At its core, it is a story about friendship, about wanting more from life, and about choosing not to fade quietly away.

The piece became an absolute joy to perform. Beneath the surface lies a heavy emotional subtext, but what audiences encounter first is adventure, imagination, laughter, and a character whose inner world refuses to stay hidden.

To set the scene: The Story follows Tom Walsh, a man hidden away in his parents’ house on the north side of Cork city. Obsessed with all things Sherlock Holmes, Tom is forced out into the world when his best friend, George the dog, goes missing.

Convinced George has fallen into the clutches of a cunning villain, Tom embarks on a rescue mission fuelled by fantasy, fear, and determination.

During the original run, I came to fully appreciate the importance of bringing stories to people wherever they are. Culture, art, and storytelling are central to community life.

In every venue I visited, I saw the commitment and energy of local communities working to ensure there was space for stories to be shared - places where people could gather, discuss, debate, and experience art together.

In today’s world, stories matter more than ever. Storytelling captures our past, our present, and our hopes for the future. It reflects how we feel, how we think things should be, and sometimes simply how we are coping.

Stories teach empathy. They remind us to listen. Every one of us carries a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

I’d love to welcome you to one of the upcoming performances of The Story - an hour of imaginative, heartfelt, and entertaining storytelling.

Upcoming performances:

March 22 - The Glen Theatre, Banteer

March 27 - Cnoc Bui Arts Centre, Union Hall

March 28 - Briery Gap, Macroom

I hope to see you there.