A new production of Conor McPherson’s play Port Authority will open at the Town Hall Theatre next week before going on a nationwide tour.
 

The three-hander is being presented by Galway based Decadent Theatre and the cast is made up of Garret Keogh, Carl Kennedy and Phelim Drew. The play, which was first performed in 2001, consists of three monologues in which three Irishmen from different generations confront significant events in their lives and are forced to take stock of their actions and feelings.

The monologues are interwoven, explains Phelim, who plays Dermot, a middle-aged man caught up in the Celtic Tiger world of the early Noughties. “Each story feeds off the other,,” adds the actor whose extensive theatre CV mostly revolves around the Abbey Theatre.

“You think it’s about missed opportunities and, to an extent, regret, but it’s about more than that,” he expands. “It’s about people taking the route that’s less destructive, about someone wondering ‘what would have happened had I taken that avenue?’.”

Phelim describes Port Authority as “an extremely intelligent piece of writing”. “Conor’s understanding of the human condition is enormous. . . and then there is humour as well.”

Rehearsals, directed by Decadent's Andrew Flynn have been taking place for the past few weeks. Although Decadent is Galway based, these are being held in Dublin. Phelim and his wife, Sue Collins, a member of the comedy troupe Nualas, have four children aged between seven and four, so it’s difficult for him to be away from home too long, he explains. Carl Kennedy who plays the younger character of Kevin in Port Authority, also lives in Dublin, and has a new baby.

Garret Keogh, who plays the elderly widower Joe, is travel from Wexford for rehearsals, so he and Andrew have been very facilitating, says Phelim.

With both Phelim and Sue involved in the entertainment business, are there difficulties around juggling childcare? Not really, he says, “If you have to juggle stuff, it means there’s a lot of work and that’s great. We have a friend, Gabi who helps out and my sister Cliodhna helps out and it’s never a major deal.”

Port Authority is at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre from Tuesday, October 9 to Saturday October 13 at 8pm. Booking at tht.ie, phone 091-569777 or at the box office.