- Culture
- 30 Apr 25
Paul Mescal to appear in a production at the Abbey Theatre
Mescal will appear in the Irish staging of A Whistle in the Dark, followed by two runs at The National Theatre in London of the same play and Death of a Salesman
Paul Mescal has been slated for two productions at the National Theatre in London, which are set to run in 2027.
The Normal People star will appear in the 20th century classic plays, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Tom Murphy’s A Whistle in the Dark.
Following its UK run, Mescal will appear in the Irish staging of A Whistle in the Dark at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
The lauded 1961 play tells the story of Michael Carney, who settles in Coventry alongside his wife Betty, and attempts to forge a new life for himself. However, leaving Ireland does not set him free, and once the Carneys spiral, the play shows the impact of tribal violence and the utter desolation it brings in its wake.
Other Irish stars coming to the National’s stage over the next two years include Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls' Siobhán McSweeney and Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People, Lakelands) who will appear together in J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World.
Playboy of the Western World, Christy Mahon walks into a Flaherty’s tavern, claiming he is on the run for killing his father. Flaherty praises Christy’s boldness and Flaherty’s daughter, Pegeen, falls in love with Christy. From there, chaos ensues.
Some may remember the acclaimed Playboy’s infamous connection to the Abbey, which sparked riots when it was first unveiled at theatre over a century ago in 1907.
Both Playboy and A Whistle in the Dark will be directed by the Abbey’s artistic director Caitríona McLaughlin, who has a very busy schedule ahead of her.
"It will be an honour to bring Playboy of the Western World and A Whistle in the Dark before audiences in London,” says McLaughlin. “Every generation deserves to see these two seminal works of the Irish canon.
"I am thrilled to take on these two great Irish plays. The Playboy of the Western World holds a special place in my heart because it is synonymous with the origins of our theatre.
"And A Whistle in the Dark is a taut, explosive, pressure cooker of a play and remains Murphy’s best-known and most performed play. "
