We sat down with an exclusive interview with emerging Irish writer Niall McCarthy ahead of his new show Derry Boys, running at Theatre 503 from 20th May to 7th June. Developed through Theatre503’s Rapid Write Response programme, this sharp and powerful and wryly funny new work explores identity, ambition, and what it takes to carve out a place in the world.
Q: Derry Boys is your full-length debut—congratulations! What inspired you to tell this particular story now, and why through the lens of Paddy and Mick?
A: First of all, thank you! Being Irish is in such a weird place right now – we used to be marginalised and not let into bars, now it feels like the exact opposite, where people immediately like you just because you’re Irish. It’s just a bit weird. Paddy and Mick are literally slurs for Irish people, but no one ever notices that, because it seems insane that the Irish were ever not what we are now. For Paddy and Mick (and for so many young Irish people), they really hold on to the identity of being marginalised, even though everyone in the world has nothing but nice things to say about the Irish. It takes them growing up to let go of this idea. That’s what all coming-of-age stories are about, I’d say.
Q: The play spans two decades and two cities. How did you approach weaving the timelines together, and what challenges or surprises came with telling a story across that much emotional and political ground?
A: We have title cards that tell the audience exactly where and when they are, as if it were a film – no confusion, keep it simple, that was the approach. For the emotional ground we cover, I think the more emotional a play is, the more rewarding it is. You want people to have extreme reactions to your stories, whether that’s through crying or laughing. A big surprise for me was just how much everyone – from any community – seems to be able to relate to the story, even though it was written so specifically about Derry.
Q: Coming from Derry and now living in London, how has that shift in environment influenced your storytelling or the kinds of characters you’re drawn to?
A: I get to be “the Irish guy” here. My stories are “Irish stories.” But if I was back home in Derry, I’d just be “a guy” and my stories would just be “stories.” Isn’t that very strange? I’ve also seen A LOT of really terrible plays about Irish people written by English people in London, like an absurd amount, and they’ve all been terrible! Just a mish-mash of stereotypes. Genuinely hard for me to sit through, but English people see them and love them! If those plays had been written about other marginalised people, there would have been public backlash – they never would have been made in the first place. But for some reason, English people feel entitled to Irish stories. I think there’s something in there worth commenting on, and that’s what I hope Derry Boys does.
Q: You developed this piece through Theatre503’s Rapid Write Response programme. What did that process teach you, and how did it shape the final version of the play?
A: This play would never have existed without the amazing response to the original ten-minute version that Andy [McLeod – Director] and Theatre503 put on years ago. Because of that, we kept the scene that it came from almost intact, and I wrote around it. So, the story really exploded out of the first scene that audiences will see – which isn’t normally how you’d write a play. It did lead to a lot of writing struggles for me, though, because I wanted to keep that scene as it was, when I could’ve just changed it and it probably would have solved problems a lot easier, lol.
Q: Who are the writers—playwrights or otherwise—that have had the biggest influence on your voice or your approach to storytelling?
A: Have you ever seen John Michael McDonagh’s films? Calvary and The Guard are both massively influential to me. I think realistic dialogue is always funny, because I think in real life most people are often very funny—whether they’re trying to be or not. His writing really reflects that. For Derry Boys specifically I had a lot of influence from Four Lions, War of the Buttons and, of course, Derry Girls.
Q: What advice would you give to emerging writers?
A: To seek more accomplished people to get advice from lol. But if I had to give you something real, I’d tell you to just submit your work for everything. You never know what’s going to hit. I didn’t even like the original version of Derry Boys—if I’d never submitted it to 503, I wouldn’t be here now. It’s all so subjective. You can look at that like it’s a bad thing, or you can write as much as you can and fire it out to as many people as possible.
Derry Boys will be at Theatre503, London from 20th May – 7th June. For tickets and more information, visit: https://theatre503.com/whats-on/derry-boys/