Omagh musician and actor lands dream role in star-studded play

Omagh musician and actor, Caolan McCarthy, has landed a much-coveted role in a new London-based production of the Sean O’Casey play ‘Juno and the Paycock’, starring alongside Oscar winner Mark Rylance.

The young actor has already had some stand-out moments throughout his flourishing career thus far, including an acting role in Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winning film, ‘Belfast’, as well as having contributed to the original London cast recording of the musical, ‘Amelie’, which was nominated for ‘Best Musical Theatre Album’ at the Grammy’s in 2021.

He also played a sold-out hometown concert at the Weigh Inn, Omagh, in the town earlier this month.

The Sean O’Casey play, ‘Juno and the Paycock’, is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the Irish Civil War period and revolves around the misfortunes of the dysfunctional Boyle family.

The play was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924 and has grown to be considered one of the greatest pieces of Irish theatre. Juno and the Paycock is part of Casey’s ‘Dublin Trilogy’ of plays alongside The Plough and the Stars and The Shadow of a Gunman.

The cast for the production run Caolan will join for his performances at the Gielgud Theatre starting on September 21 is highly-impressive: The lead is played by Oscar-winning actor, Mark Rylance, starring alongside Tony award-nominee, J Smith-Cameron (Succession’s Gerri Kellman).

And this run is also directed by Tony and Olivier award-winning Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical, Pride).

Speaking to the UlsterHerald ahead of rehearsals for the performances, Caolan said he was ‘very excited’ to work alongside such respected and famed actors.

“Mark Rylance is a dramatic hero of mine and to be working with him alongside J Smith-Cameron who is also a fantastic actor is very exciting,” said Caolan. “I am not a stranger to Sean O’Casey plays, and I was a part of a production of another play in his Dublin trilogy ‘Plough and the Stars’ eight years ago in the National Theatre. However. this will be the biggest stage production I’ve been a part of so far.

“This play has everything needed to be something special the director is also fantastic and is the artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre.

“I really am excited.”

For tickets to this limited-run prodition in London, you can visit: www.junoandthepaycock.com