Corkman Peter Gowen is a man of many talents

Mon, 28 Oct, 2024 - 07:00

Actor Peter Gowen has starred in critically acclaimed productions in Ireland and abroad. He recently completed a lengthy run of Brian Friel’s iconic Dancing At Lughnasa in Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Now, he is bringing his latest play, which he wrote, stars in, and produces, to Cork stages.

Declan’s Got Talent follows 60-year-old protagonist Declan as he attempts to audition for Britain’s Got Talent. The play jumps back and forth in time, depicting Declan’s experiences as a young boy entering a seminary and the subsequent trauma he faced.

The title, a play on the popular TV show, reflects Declan’s journey to discover his own talents and worth, despite the challenges he faced in his youth. Gowen quickly points out that although the play has serious and darker moments, it is also funny and entertaining.

“I first wrote a draft of this 20 years ago, about how children were treated by the religious orders who were in charge of education, and about how violent they were, and about the damage that that did.

The play isn’t about the abuse, it is about overcoming that. It is about overcoming it and achieving something good in your life despite such an abusive start. There are some very funny times as Declan looks back over his life.

Gowen says the boy at the centre of the play has a difficult time in the seminary and years later, begins to think back on his past, his memories triggered by something extraordinary: his appearance on Britain’s Got Talent.

“The boy is now a man in his 60s who has struggled with the effects of what he experienced at school and decided he wants to go on Britain’s Got Talent to prove to himself that he’s all right.

The play starts with him meeting the judges, then something happens, and he finds himself in the past in the midst of the boarding school with a lot of other young boys who were training to be priests.

Gowen shares that much of what unfolds in the play is a reflection of his own experiences. His challenging education under a religious order left him with lingering anxiety, a sentiment he hopes to convey through the play.

“They say one of the reasons people write is to heal yourself, and that is what I’m doing. I am shy to talk about my experience, but the play is an attempt to connect with people who have had the same experience, but also to educate people of other generations who are listening to the radio or reading newspaper stories and not able to comprehend what happened in Irish schools.”

The play’s two actors, Gowen and Jack Healy, play a myriad of characters, including young and old Declan, a Mexican priest, Declan’s mother, and Declan’s best friend at the seminary. As Gowen explains, the play’s non-linear narrative adds an element of surprise and keeps the audience engaged throughout.

“It starts out as a traditional play, then goes into free-form reminiscence. It jumps around the place regarding time and setting and will challenge the audience, but it is always understandable. Essentially, it is a series of vignettes of Declan ing things that happened.”

Healy is a well-known Cork writer and actor who Gowen describes as a renaissance man.

“Jack writes, acts, and teaches drama. He’s been a mainstay of Cork theatre.

We also have great Cork talents in the crew, including Peter Power, a brilliant sound designer who designed a soundscape to underlie the production.

Cork County Council is funding the play, which will allow it to visit five stages in Cork then head to locations across the country and later to the Irish Cultural Centre in London.

Gowen says it is difficult to tour at the moment and that regional tours are lacking.

“I am ionate about bringing theatre back to the regions and areas outside Dublin. There are beautiful venues and audiences around the country that do not get to see theatre, and there is a generation of younger people who are missing out on plays.

There also aren’t many roles from actors in their sixties like Jack and I. Hopefully, tours like this will encourage people to consider bringing their shows on the road and be a reminder that older actors should have access to work.”

He hopes the play will stir a conversation and provoke the audience to discuss it. “Good theatre is a conversation, hopefully, audiences will connect with it, and it will stimulate them.”