Coming to Jerymn Street Theatre this summer is a new production of Wife to James Whelan, a play by almost-forgotten Irish playwright Teresa Deevy and set in a small town in Ireland in 1937, focusing on the relationship between Nan Bowers and the eponymous James Whelan. It’s being brought to London by Mint Theatre, which specialises in bringing neglected plays back to the stage. It will be directed by Mint Theater’s Jonathan Bank.
Fiach Kunz (Becoming Maggie, Extremities (The New Theatre, Dublin), Romeo and Juliet, Three Days of Rain (Mill Theatre Dundrum), and A Fear and Loathing Actor in Dublin (Edinburgh Festival Fringe – also writer)) will play James Whelan, while Clíona Flynn (Mean Girls (Savoy Theatre)) will take on the role of Nan Bowers.
Darragh Feehely (A Misanthrope, A Streetcar Named Desire (Smock Alley Theatre), The House (Druid Theatre), Hammam, An Old Song, Half Forgotten (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Hamlet (Mill Theatre Dundrum), The Glass Menagerie, Letters of a Country Postman (The Everyman, Cork), The Book of Names (Dublin Theatre Festival), The Flags (Cork Arts Theatre), and The (Not so) Quick Murder of Man (UK tour)) will be Bill McGaffery.
Eavan Gaffney (Uncle Vanya, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Loved Ones (Smock Alley Theatre), King Lear, The Stewart of Christendom (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Breaking (Ireland tour), Children of the Sun, and The Loved Ones (Abbey Theatre, Dublin)) is Kate Moran.
Molly Hanly (855-For-Truth (The Bridge Theatre, Brussels and The Hope Theatre), and Youth’s The Season (Abbey Theatre, Dublin)) plays Nora Keane.
The role of Tom Carey will be played by Patrick McBrearty (The White Handkerchief (The Millennium Forum), Belfast Actually, Belfast Actually 2 (Theatre at the Mill), Good with Faces (Dublin Fringe Festival), Volunteers (The Playhouse Derry), Richard III, New Speak, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), The Border Game (Lyric Theatre, Belfast and Ireland tour), Home Malone, The McCooeys (Grand Opera House, Belfast), and I Shall Wear Purple (Northern Ireland tour)).
Apollo Moran will be played by David Rawle (Amsterdam, Afterwards (Dublin Fringe Festival), Youth’s The Season-?, A Night at the Movies (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), The Borrowers (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Danti-Dan (Ireland tour), and The Blackwater Lightship (Gaiety Theatre, Dublin)).
Completing the cast as Tom Mclinsey is Benjamin Reilly (Danny Ryan (Smock Alley Theatre), The Long Christmas Dinner (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Mortal Sin (Bewley’s Café Theatre), and The Merchant of Venice (Mill Theatre Dundrum)).
Wife To James Whelan plays at Jermyn Street Theatre 25 June -25 July 2026
Tickets here
