Interview: Actor Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty on JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
Tony award-nominee J. Smith-Cameron (Succession) stars as Juno Boyle opposite Mark Rylance as ‘Captain’ Jack Boyle in a highly anticipated new production of Juno and the Paycock. We spoke to Irish actor, Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty, who is making his West End debut in the production as Johnny Boyle.
What is Juno and the Paycock about and can you tell us a little bit about your character?
Juno and the Paycock is a play by Seán O’Casey that is loved deeply by the Irish people. Set in a Dublin tenement during the Irish Civil War, it follows a family burdened by poverty trying to make it through each day. I play Johnny Boyle, the son in this family unit, who has been severely injured and traumatised whilst fighting for the independence of Ireland. On top of all this, his recent involvement in the now unfolding civil war has pushed him into a corner where he must fight for both his sanity and his life.
As an Irish actor, what is it like to be performing in an Irish play set in Ireland?
I feel very privileged. This play is such an important slice of Irish culture and gives such an incredible insight to the lives of ordinary people living in an extraordinary time.
It’s also a beautiful opportunity to share Irish culture and history with an English audience. For hundreds of years, England ruthlessly defined Irish history and I was shocked to find out how little it is taught about in UK schools when it made up a large majority of my history classes. I hope this production can act as a gateway (however small) to spark curiosity in audiences to delve more into Ireland’s past.
The show is set in 1922 but what do you think it has to say about today's world?
I think our production hones in on the reality of living during a time where people are being tortured, maimed and killed every day and our inability as humans to be able process all of that horror. The world we currently live in now is plagued with unnecessary death and destruction and it can be easier sometimes to pretend that it’s just not happening. This play is a beautiful examination of a specific type of fear that feels extremely prevalent in our present day.
What is it like to be working with such well known actors and creatives as Mark Rylance, J. Smith-Cameron and Matthew Warchus? What are you learning from them?
It’s beautiful to be working with all of these amazing actors and creatives who are at the top of their game. Seeing professionals who are so focused on telling the story and bringing the characters to life really established honesty and vulnerability needed in this line of work.
How are you feeling about making your West End debut?
It feels so surreal! I don’t think it’s fully landed yet. Either way, I’m not alone as a number of actors in the company are also making their debuts. I feel so honoured and safe to be sharing my first show in London with so many talented people.
You trained in Dublin rather than at one of the well-known London schools. How did you make that decision and what advice would you give to other young actors deciding on where to train?
I chose to study in the Lir Academy in Dublin and it was definitely the right choice for me. The standard of teaching is second to none and all of the staff care so deeply and work so hard for the students. The small size of the school ensured I got loads of big opportunities throughout my training. I’ll always treasure my time there immensely and I owe so much to every single person there. I don’t feel I can give any advice, nothing I did was particularly calculated or thought out, I fortunately just trusted that I’d find my way one way or the other.
What are some of your goals and aspirations as you progress into the rest of your career?
To do a play in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin has always been a dream of mine. To perform in the National Theatre of Ireland would mean a whole lot to me. The Gate theatre is another playhouse I’d adore to perform in. So I’ll have to hold out and keep the fingers crossed.
