In this compelling and moving solo play, Ruairi Conaghan tells the story of the murder of a loved one and the lasting and unpredictable trauma that flowed from it.
When actor Ruairi Conaghan was asked to play the part of Patrick Magee who tried to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and her government in the 1984 Brighton Bomb attack, it triggered memories of an act of IRA violence upon his own family when he was a child.
On 16 September 1974, Judge Rory Conaghan was shot dead on his Belfast doorstep whilst holding his 9 year old daughter’s hand. Ruairi Conaghan is Judge Conaghan’s nephew.
After playing Magee, Ruairi’s next role was the Player King in Hamlet at the Barbican opposite Benedict Cumberbatch. It was only then that the true consequences of his decision to play Magee were revealed. Shakespeare’s words stirred up Ruairi’s memories of the murder of a loved one and the lasting trauma that flowed from it, leading to a physical and mental collapse that threatened his life.
Lies Where It Falls uses song, poetry, humour and Shakespeare to tell a courageous story of recovery with life-affirming, soul bearing honesty.
Nomination and Finalist for Best Performance Piece in the Off West End Theatre Awards 2024 (OFFlES)
Top 10 Cultural Events of 2023 in The Belfast Telegraph.
An Edinburgh Festival Highlight – The List
“An extraordinary solo performance. A compelling, moving exploration of grief, trauma and the long shadows cast by violence.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ( Fringe Review
“A fascinating and moving piece of writing …with great humour.. imaginatively and poignantly performed.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ LondonTheatre
Ruairi Conaghan is an award winning Irish actor whose most prominent TV and Film work include Downton Abbey, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Waking the Dead, Silent Witness and The Catherine Tate Show. He has worked a number of times in the West End, Off Broadway, The National Theatre, The Royal Court, and most major theatres inside and outside of London and throughout the UK, Ireland and the US.
There will be a post show discussion led by Dr Mark Phelan.
