Final bow for Leitrim theatre director who lit up stages for 28 years

After nearly three decades of captivating audiences across Ireland, John McDwyer, the celebrated director and playwright from County Leitrim, has announced his retirement from touring, closing the curtain on 28 years of dedication to theatre.

With his company, Beezneez Theatre, McDwyer completed an impressive 40 tours of 28 plays. For him, the true joy of theatre lies in the transformation of his written work into a live experience. "The only bit of the whole thing that I will actually miss is the rehearsal room. It was great fun. The whole process of bringing it to life," he admits, "The reactions from audiences have always made the journey worthwhile. It's very satisfying, you know, because it means that you've been working in the right direction."

Reflecting on his decision to retire, McDwyer explained, "I'm really only retiring from touring. I'll still be writing plays. The toll of life on the road has grown too heavy. The tyres are worn."

McDwyer has played a key role in keeping regional and local theatre vibrant, especially during the quieter summer months. "A good few years ago, we decided we would become a summer theatre company because it was just easier for us in every aspect," he recalled. "That was a great help to the theatres because there was nothing going on at that time. Now there’s absolutely nothing." His company filled a critical gap, supporting smaller theatres when they needed it most.

However, McDwyer has concerns about the current state of theatre in Ireland, particularly beyond Dublin. "It’s worrying when you see the Abbey Theatre in Dublin closed for three months in summer," he said, pointing to the Dublin focus of the Arts Council. "They seem to have a fixation with supporting Dublin-centred theatre." McDwyer also noted that funding cuts have hit smaller companies hard. "They’ve stopped funding smaller companies in Dublin to tour, so consequently there’s very little touring theatre. When we were starting out, we got funding from the Leitrim Development Company, which really saved us. It allowed us to put two shows on the road that we knew would lose money. But we needed to put those shows on the road to learn the business."

Despite these challenges, McDwyer remains optimistic about the future of his work. His plays continue to be performed across Ireland. "All my plays are available for sale online to amateur companies," he said. "And there’s a fairly wide performance of the plays every year, maybe actually more so in the south of Ireland, oddly enough."

His passion for storytelling, and the intuitive way he approaches writing, remains undiminished. McDwyer described his creative process as something that develops over time. "It’s very instinctive, you know. I’m not someone who suddenly decides, 'I must write a play,' and sits down to do it. You get a germ of an idea, and you let it fester. It might take three months or three years before the idea comes into focus. And when that happens, I sit down and write it."

When asked what advice he would give to young people interested in theatre or writing, McDwyer was candid. "If you want to write a play, all you do is sit down and write it. But don’t expect to make a decent living out of it—it’s a very, very difficult profession. It’s not really a profession, it’s a vocation. And it’s something that people do because they have to do it."

McDwyer’s final year of touring, with his play The Pension Plan, was unexpected even to him. "I was more definite in my mind last year that it was over," he said. "But the play last year was such a success, and theatres wanted it back, so I decided to do another year."

McDwyer noted that theatre tends to attract an audience aged 35 and older. Reflecting on changes in Irish theatre, he recalled how Friday nights once posed a challenge due to competition with the Late Late Show. "When we first started touring, you’d never be in a theatre on a Friday night because the audience wouldn’t come. Now, they’ll just record it or watch it later, so that’s helped a lot."

Though McDwyer is stepping away from the road, his influence will endure. His plays will continue to be performed by amateur theatre groups, ensuring his storytelling legacy lives on. "Some of those plays I’ve never even seen performed," he reflected, grateful that his work continues to find new life, even when staging it was a challenge.