Sat.30th Mar 2024 Joan Sheehy and Seamus O’Rourke in The Empty Nest
The Empty Nest
The Empty Nest is written by emerging Irish playwright Oisín Flores Sweeney. It debuted at Smock Alley earlier this year as a work-in-progress as part of the Scene + Heard Festival of New Work, before a sold out run at Cork Arts Theatre for in August. Directed by Geoff Gould, it stars Irish Times Theatre Award nominee Seamus O’Rourke (Lakelands), alongside established actor and director Joan Sheehy (An Cailín Ciúin). A Blood in the Alley Theatre Company Production Written by Oisín Flores Sweeney Directed by Geoff Gould Starring Seamus O’Rourke & Joan Sheehy Tony and Sheila are watching television, again. Their children are grown and their grandchildren are invading their lives. Sheila wants to travel; Tony is determined to stay put. Tony is on a new diet; Sheila could cut you in two with a sharp comment. All that’s on the television is sex… and they can’t remember when they did it last! Oisín Flores Sweeney’s first full play is an hilarious piece of theatre that looks at how couples negotiate life after the kids leave, their dreams, disappointments, longings and uncompromising opinions on everything – Gogglebox on speed! Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
Writer: Oisín Flores Sweeney
Director: Geoff Gould
On a winter’s night in Westport Tony (Seamus O’Rourke) and Sheila (Joan Sheehy) sit in their wingback chairs sipping wine as the television flickers. After 40 years of marriage they find themselves at a somewhat mundane crossroads in their lives. With their children grown and gone, and their granddaughter a little too often underfoot, they’re left in a hinterland of life, pondering what to do next. The glow from the television offers little comfort or entertainment but between them both Tony and Sheila have plenty to say, even if they don’t always say the things that really matter.
Sheila dreams of travel and adventure, or even just a new lawnmower, but Tony’s penny pinching puts a damper on anything with a price tag. Instead, he wants to focus on his new diet; the one that will infamously “start on Monday”. The spark in their love life may have been extinguished over time, but their quick witted interactions are electrifying. And who’s to say that this isn’t just the beginning of something better for them both.
Written by Oisín Flores Sweeney, the action shifts seamlessly from hilarious one-liners to acute observations of Irish life. The Empty Nest wittily explores the realities of life and love for an everyday couple who are a little bit lost in the world.
O’Rourke and Sheehy’s performances capture the warts and all essence of a couple who have spent a lifetime together. Wholly relatable, this piece is intimate from the beginning. Geoff Gould’s direction keeps the pacing tight but natural, ensuring that the play maintains its momentum throughout its 50 minutes running time. The simple set offers an immediate depth, making the couple’s home feel as familiar as countless other living rooms across the country.
This wonderful little comedy is a perfect match of humour and heart, and definitely not just for
empty-nesters.
Contains strong language and adult themes.
Tony and Sheila are watching television. Their children are grown and their grandchildren are invading their lives. They haven’t had sex forever and all that’s on the television is sex.
Oisín Flores Sweeny’s first play is a hilarious piece of theatre that encompasses the way many Irish couples live today.
Directed by Geoff Gould, It stars Irish Times Theatre Award nominee Seamus O’Rourke (Lakelands), an established actor and playwright and Joan Sheehy, actor and director whose screen credits include The Field, The Boxer, Father Ted and most recently, An Cailín Ciúin.
Tony and Sheila are watching television… again. Their children are reared, and their grandchildren are invading their lives. Sheila wants to travel; Tony is determined to stay put. Tony is on a new diet; Sheila could cut you in two with a sharp comment. All that’s on the television is sex… and they can’t remember when they did it last! Oisín Flores Sweeney’s debut play is an hilarious piece of theatre that looks at how couples negotiate life after the kids leave, their dreams, disappointments, longings and uncompromising opinions on everything – Gogglebox on speed!
‘The Empty Nest’ debuted at Smock Alley as a work-in-progress as part of the Scene + Heard Festival of New Work last year, before embarking on sellout runs at Cork Arts Theatre and The Viking Theatre in Dublin. It now comes to Galway as part of a national tour in 2024. Directed by Geoff Gould, it stars Irish Times Theatre Award nominee Seamus O’Rourke (Lakelands), alongside established actor and director Joan Sheehy (An Cailín Ciúin).
THE ARTS REVIEW
“Hugely funny, uncomfortably accurate, and comedically sharp”
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