Actor you didn't know was from Offaly stars in new play

Love/Hate and Derry Girls star Peter Campion is coming to the stage in the Midlands as he plays the part of Timothy in Kevin Barry’s critically acclaimed first Play Autumn Royal at Backstage Theatre, Longford on Tuesday, May 15th and Wednesday, May 16.

It is a little known fact that Campion, who played Stumpy in Love/Hate, Father Peter in hit Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, and narrates RTE show First Dates Ireland, grew up in Birr. 

Peter was born in Birr and was raised there until he and his family moved to Dartry in Dublin. He referred to himself as "a proper culchie" in a recent interview with The Times, saying, "the switch to the capital was a real culture shock." He later went to secondary school at Clongowes Wood in Kildare. 

Campion was the obvious choice for writer Kevin Barry in his first play which has been described as witty, engaging and quirky. Barry is the multi-award winning writer of the novels Beatlebone and City Of Bohane and his first play is making just as strong an impression with critics.

In the play, Timothy, played by Campion and May, played by Siobhán McSweeney, famed for her turn as Sister Michael in Derry Girls, are looking after the father – the father has long since taken to the bed. Their own lives are curtailed, closed down, and they’re not getting any younger. Should they stay or should they go? 

A dark, dark comedy, set on the north side of Cork city, Autumn Royal is a play about life and death, love and hate, hysterical dependency, jealousy, rage, horror, and homicidal notions – or, in other words, it’s a play about a family.

Autumn Royal will be playing locally in the Midlands at the Backstage Theatre, Longford on Tues 15th & Wed 16th May at 8pm.  Tickets €18/€16 are available on 043 33 47888 or www.backstage.ie. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have a story for us, sports news, an event happening in your area, or if you want to submit pictures or videos, contact the Offaly Express team via email to justin.kelly@iconicnews.ie, or through our Facebook.