An Grianán Theatre broadcasting Actual Theatre's 'You and Me' in the autumn

A talented Inishowen actor along with 16 of the North West's finest emerging creative practitioners, theatre-makers and drama school graduates have formed a new theatre company and staged their first play.

'You and Me', written by Eoin Callaghan from Newtowncunningham and Kieron Clarke from Ramelton, was staged by Actual Theatre and cinematically filmed for digital distribution at An Grianan Theatre in Letterkenny last week. It was the first full length play to be staged at the theatre since the pandemic began.

Kieron also directed the play, in which Eoin and their friend, Joe Gallagher from Letterkenny, take on the central roles of David Kelly and Jacob McLaughlin respectively, as well as a myriad of other characters, men and women, young and old, grandmothers, shopkeepers, everything.

Actual Theatre comprises and Eoin, Kieron and Joe; associate director, Leanne Devlin (Buncrana); production manager and lighting designer, Caoimhe McCarron (Derry); stage manager, Beth Curran (Derry); technical director, Evie McClean (Coleraine); technical assistant, Ryan McKelvey (Letterkenny); costume design, Ciara Foord (Derry); wardrobe assistant, Laramie Carey (Letterkenny); make-up design, Laurie McClleland ( Derry); script editor, Ciara Murray (Letterkenny); director of photography, camera operator and editor, William Ayton (Derry); camera operator and sound technician, Stephen Walker (Derry); documentary, Daniel J Patton (County Derry); photography, Sinead Byrne (Letterkenny); and graphic design, Aaron Curley (County Derry).

'You and Me' is set in Ballyladran, a fictional Irish border town. The story revolves around David and Jacob who have been friends since primary school.

Speaking to Donegal Live, Eoin said: “David and Jacob are thick as thieves. They spend their days partying, drinking, staying out till dark and fantasizing about their futures. However, one fateful summer night changed their lives forever, leading them down separate paths.

“After fifteen years, a tragic event forces them to reunite and drunkenly replay the events of the past. Could anything have been done to change them?”

Kieron explained Actual Theatre company was set up earlier this year.

He added: “It was born out of a place of frustration and lack of creating and boredom throughout the past 18 months and the pandemic.

“Before we went to college and university, Eoin and I used to run a company called Row B Productions. We produced a play when we were about 15 or 16 called 'Checking Out'.

“Everyone in Actual Theatre graduated from North West Regional College (Derry) in Performing Arts and from Ulster University, Magee in Drama. Eoin and I are still at drama school in England. I am at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Eoin is at the University of Chichester Conservatoire.

“We wrote 'You and Me' about two years ago but we picked it up again in December. We just started writing and we couldn't stop.

“Then we had the idea of producing it, as we felt we needed to get back on to the stage, that was when Actual Theatre was born. The company's name came from people saying they couldn't wait to see 'actual theatre' when the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.”

Kieron described 'You and Me' as a serious play with bits of comedy.

“That's how we see life,” he added. “If you don't laugh you'll cry. Even the darkest moments have a little bit of levity. 'You and Me' does touch on adult themes such as sexual and domestic violence and self harm but it all done in a tasteful manner. It is not sensationalised.

“The play features friends and David Kelly (Eoin) and Jacob McLaughlin (Joe) who have not seen each other in fifteen years. It takes place on the day of David's father's funeral.

”Out of nowhere, Jacob appears at the door. We don't know who Jacob is when we first see him. As the play progresses, the audience discovers Jacob's identity, through the two lad's drunken discussion of the past.
'You and Me' is set in an old bar. The set is quite stylised. Eventually, we find out why there is this tension between these two men, who are now in their thirties. The characters move back and forward between their adult selves and their younger selves.

“We chose to film 'You and Me' because of the lack of an audience due to Covid-19 restrictions. At the minute only 50 could be in the audience and, as a result of the way the play is staged, it would not have been commercially or artistically viable. 'You and Me' is staged in the round, where the Audience sits on the stage, around the set which would have meant we could only have had 20 people.”

Kieron said he had watched a lot of streamed theatre during the last year and a half and found it “very flat”.

He added: “The theatre I was watching was very two dimensional and I felt I wanted to really bring the audience in, so, we got four cinematic cameras, which acted as the audience.

“Eoin and Joe addressed the cameras throughout the play. It was almost like breaking the Fourth Wall to a degree and really inviting the audience into the story. The play was cinematically filmed, of which I am quite proud, by William Ayton and Stephen Walker.

“When it is edited and refined in a few months time, it will be distributed online by An Grianan Theatre. More information can be found on the Actual Theatre Facebook page.