19 February 2018 (released)
19 February 2018
Two men, a roof, 16 euros robbed from a petrol station and a lot of cocaine. That is the premise for John O’Donovan’s debut play which tells a story of two working class gay men in Ireland, who deal with prejudice in their own different ways. This romantic drama takes place on Bonfire Night in the west of Ireland where Mikey portrayed by Alan Mahon, and Casey, played by the outstanding Josh Williams, are hiding from the police below.
Mikey is a brash young Irishman who, already in trouble with the police, has accepted his homosexuality and is willing to fight for it. Casey, on the other hand, is a young Englishman who refuses to tell his Mum about his. While they’re stuck on the roof, they drink, snort cocaine and talk to pass the time.
Director Thomas Martin does superbly to make the stakes so high in such a small space performed in real time and he manages to make the play flow naturally whilst ensuring the actor’s emotions are truthful and apparent, despite the tightness of the space. Writer John O’Donovan has a great ear for dialogue and along with the balancing of conflict and intimacy, makes for a special play.
The play is a treat for actors to perform in, and his unique story, which brings fresh attention to how hard it can be for working class men to come out, delves into two possibilities of how to deal with it. Is it worth fighting it whilst compromising who you are?
