Eoin Colfer’s dark but comic tour de force on its way to Waterford

Late in 2013, director Ben Barnes asked Eoin Colfer to write a short play. The result was the single-hander, 'My Real Life', which made up a quartet of plays by Eoin and fellow Irish writers Colm Tóibin, Billy Roche and John Banville.

The play, starring Garrett Lombard, will be staged in Waterford's Theatre Royal on June 18, at 8pm.

'My Real Life', in its short form, comprised a series of mostly hilarious anecdotes recorded on his phone by Noel for his friend Richard by way of providing him with the "bones of a scéal’’ to put a eulogy together for Noel who is suffering from a serious illness.

The play – with Don Wycherley - was wildly successful with audiences during WexFour, and Ben and Eoin immediately thought that it might be expanded into a full-length play. Eoin had shown a penchant for dramatic writing and dialogue finely attuned to the rhythm and cadence of the Wexford voice.

“He has that gift for seamless dramatic propulsion which, without drawing attention to itself, carries an audience on the crest of the wave of his forward-moving story,” says Ben.

At a time when the incidence of self-harm was on the increase in Ireland, Noel’s explanation of his thinking in 'My Real Life' was both sobering and moving. In the later extended play, Eoin allows Noel to record a series of funny stories about growing up in Wexford for his friend Richard to contend with.

He also leaves a confession of sorts when he tells of how he lost the love of his life, Rose, through the inability of his immature 30-year-old self to fully appreciate what he had in her.

“That Eoin is able to bring us to this emotional pitch at the end of the play when we have laughed heartily with Noel throughout the night – even while the emotional depth charges were being stealthily deployed – is a testament to his great humanity, his comic genius and his skill as a writer and, yes, as a dramatist,” explains Ben.

My Real Life toured on and off to great success and acclaim in Ireland and abroad - Paris, Edinburgh, New York - for the best part of five years. Next week, an invigorating new production of the play by Four Rivers returns to its first home, Wexford Arts Centre, before going on a nationwide tour.

Behind this production is a tour-de-force of Wexford theatrical talent. 

Taking the part of Noel is Gorey’s Garrett Lombard, whose television and screen roles include 'Pure Mule', 'Alexander', 'The Front Line', 'Rough Diamond' and 'Harry Wild'. 

Garrett will also be starring in 'Silverback' due for release later this year.

Garrett is being directed by Heather Hadrill, who was Artist in Residence at Wexford Arts Centre in 2021 and whose upcoming work includes 'The Rose of Castile', for Wexford Festival Opera as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations.

Four Rivers is a professional theatre company for the south east of Ireland, established to bring new and classic plays to audiences in the region and to give voice to the creative communities of Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow. 

The company is led by Wexford native, Ben Barnes who is a former artistic director of the Abbey Theatre.

Rehearsals on 'My Real Life' began last week at the National Opera House. Eoin travelled from Dublin to meet the creative team and to sit through the read-through. 

Since Eoin conceived 'My Real Life' 13 years ago, his Artemis Fowl series has sold over 25 million copies and been translated into 40 languages.

A former Children’s Laureate of Ireland, Eoin’s body of work includes 'The Wish List', 'The Supernaturalist', the Legends series and 'Half Moon Investigations', the latter adapted into a successful BBC television series.

His recent works, 'Global' (2021), addressing the climate crisis, and 'Beanie and the Banshee' (2024), a folklore-inspired story co-written with Steve McCarthy, have continued to cement his reputation as a master storyteller. His work for the stage, most of which premiered in his native Wexford, includes 'Lords of Love', 'Belle Bottoms', 'Noël The Musical' and 'Holy Mary'.

Tickets for the play are available at theatreroyal.ie