Not Now

Matthew, I don’t give a fuck who’s Irish andwho’s not. I’m just thinking about what’s bestfor your career. And that’s how themmuns inLondon’ll see you. Calling yourself British justembarrasses them.

The morning after his father’s funeral, an unsure and still grief-stricken Matthew prepares to fly to London to audition for the prestigious drama school, RADA.

When his painter-decorator Uncle Ray interrupts his private rendition of Richard III’s opening monologue to offer some unwanted direction and dubious career advice, Matthew starts to doubt whether he should really be leaving Belfast in the first place.

First presented by A Play, A Pie and A Pint at Òran Mór in May 2022. Not Now received its English premiere at the Finborough Theatre, London, in November 2022.

Playwright David Ireland is the multi award-winning author of Cyprus Avenue.

David Ireland is from Belfast and trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. His first play, WHAT THE ANIMALS SAY, was produced at Oran Mor, Glasgow in 2009. In 2015, he adapted Lorca’s BLOOD WEDDING for Dundee Rep and Graeae. His 2016 play CYPRUS AVENUE (Royal Court London/Abbey Theatre Dublin/Public Theatre NYC) won the Irish Times Award for Best New Play and the James Tait Black Award for Drama and in 2018 ULSTER AMERICAN (Traverse, Edinburgh) won a Scotsman Fringe First, the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh award and the Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland Award for Best New Play.