Derry Boys

I had the pleasure of seeing ‘Derry Boys’ performed live at Theatre 503 on the 29th of May 2025. The production was the debut full-length play written by Niall McCarthy, and was performed by Matthew Blaney, Eoin Sweeney and Catherine Rees. The play follows the story of Paddy and Mick, two friends that were born and raised in Derry during the aftermath of the Troubles. The two men were reunited in London after being separated as young friends and now realise they have both changed a lot from their youth and are on their own separate paths for the future.

‘Derry Boys’ was an exciting, thought-provoking and dramatic exploration into the impact of the Troubles upon the Irish and ‘the Derry condition’ (or the impact on specifically Derry, with its mix of Catholics and Protestants),  as described by the writer, Niall McCarthy. The performance also has motifs of betrayal and justice throughout, and tense dialogue that keeps the audience engaged the entire time.

The set, designed by Caitlin Abbott, consists of a few plain concrete blocks that can adapt and move quickly in time for the next scene. I find that the prop usage worked extremely well as the simple slabs were able to be used in various different ways, e.g. a bus stop, a car, a sofa etc. Also, the recurring music and lights (which also sometimes displayed the date of the next scene) signifying the move into the next scene made the performance seem neat and more professional, whilst still moving props efficiently.

Furthermore, the play is able to provide humour, through its witty and entertaining puns within each scene, whilst also keeping a balance and maintaining a sense of seriousness through the solemn and meaningful topics that this play is about. I think that using both of these two elements combined- comedy and poignant solemnity- is hard to do successfully, and that ‘Derry Boys’ should be applauded for being able to have both factors done well.

Lastly, I do find that the character of Aoife (played by Catherine Rees) was not written as thoroughly or in as much depth as the other two characters, particularly in adulthood. In the first few scenes containing Aoife, she was more sensible than the others but still rather humorous and sarcastic. However, once we begin seeing her as an adult, all of her extra characteristics are gone and she seems to lack any character development. For example, the audience sees the changes in Paddy and how far he’s come as a character from his previously unserious self (still with hints of his old character) , but Aoife seems to lose most of her personality instead of expanding upon it.

Overall, I found ‘Derry Boys’ to be a wonderful, moving and suspenseful production, without a single dull moment. Even though the play was not perfect, I certainly think that it is full of potential and a highly enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend going to see the production of ‘Derry Boys’.

★★★★