Longford Theatre: All hail The Chief

It's a homecoming two decades in the making. Former alumni of the Backstage Youth Theatre Liam Heslin returns to the Farneyhoogan venue as a cast member of The Chief next month. Since completing his training at the Lir Academy, Liam has assembled an impressive CV.

A turn as Dave the Rave in Dublin Oldschool, and a trip on the streets of Carrickstown in Fair City were small and big screen appearances. His theatre credits are too numerous to mention, but a glance across the team sheet shows productions by The Abbey Theatre, ANU, Druid and Fishamble.
This September Liam performs in Decadent Theatre's brand new play by Jimmy Murphy. Murphy is one of the country's pre-eminent contemporary playwrights, with The Kings of The Kilburn Highroad among his credits.

Premiering alongside the 100 year anniversary of the death of Michael Collins, The Chief reveals the man behind the iconic historical figure. Set against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War, it focuses on the problems facing Collins and the Free State Government as they attempt to build a new Ireland and overcome the vicious divide brought about by the Treaty.

The play has a particular local connection as it explores Collins’ intimate relationship with Kitty Kiernan, his dream for a united Ireland and his guilt at taking arms against former comrades. It reflects on the new Ireland that he imagined, alongside the tragic fate that Kitty Kiernan feared would soon overtake him.

“Jimmy is a great playwright,” Liam told the Leader, “this is the first time I have had the opportunity to be in one of his play. It's a very intriguing work.”
The play has a particular relevance with the anniversary of Collins' death at Béal na Blá. The playwright said his portrayal of Kitty Kiernan “is the first time that Kitty is written as a fully-realised, politically forward-thinking woman, proactive in and out of the bedroom, rather than the girl smiling up adoringly at Collins”.

“No one knows the intimate conversations between Kitty and Collins,” Liam says of the play, “Jimmy has a bit of licence to probe that relationship and knit it in with the historic facts. He uses that dramatic licence to make it theatrical.”

The actor is looking forward to returning to Longford: “I graduated from the Lir Academy in 2014. I have been working professionally as an actor since then. I have been lucky enough to have been involved in some great productions,” Liam tells, “I have done the odd workshop in Longford since I graduated, but I haven't performed on the stage since I performed as part of Backstage Youth Theatre with Pat Joe McLoughlin. It's close to 20 years now.”

The Chief comes to Backstage from Thursday September 22, to Saturday, September 24 at 8pm. Tickets available on 043 33 47888 or backstage.ie