The Daily Star Ireland
On Sunday, September 7, RTÉ’s Drama On One will broadcast the radio version of Heaven, the acclaimed stage play by Eugene O’Brien. Directed by Jim Culleton and produced by Fishamble: The New Play Company, the audio drama reunites the original cast members Andrew Bennett and Janet Moran, whose performances helped bring the play to life on stage.
A Story Rooted in the Irish Midlands
Heaven unfolds over the course of a wedding weekend in the Irish midlands, where Mairead and Mal—two people struggling in their marriage—find themselves confronting hidden desires and buried truths. Amidst the backdrop of celebrations, speeches, and small-town rituals, the play delves into what happens when unspoken fantasies and private regrets clash with the everyday realities of love and partnership.
O’Brien has explained that the inspiration for Heaven began during the first COVID-19 lockdown, when he returned to writing about his hometown. Though he had previously set works like Eden and Pure Mule in the midlands, he felt drawn back to explore how the region—and its people—had changed. A visit with his brother, who showed him streets still derelict from the financial crash, sparked the idea of characters returning home for a wedding.
The Characters of Mairead and Mal
The play’s central figures, Mairead and Mal, are finely drawn portraits of people at emotional crossroads. Mairead, once a tearaway teenager from a difficult background, is now a social worker returning for her sister’s wedding. When she unexpectedly reconnects with an old flame, she finds herself tempted by the possibility of something different. Mal, meanwhile, is a repressed gay man in a strained marriage who longs for a younger guest at the wedding.
By placing these characters in the familiar yet heightened environment of a wedding, O’Brien captures the chaos and intensity of such occasions—the endless drinking, dancing, family quarrels, and eccentric relatives. From “The Hobbit,” the best man with outsized feet, to Joan from the meat factory with her outsized personality, the play paints a vivid portrait of community life. Yet beneath the humor lies a meditation on intimacy, secrecy, and the deep yearning for connection.
From Stage to Radio
O’Brien describes Heaven as a piece shaped by his own life, particularly his experience of finding love later in life. Since its premiere, the play has won major accolades, including Irish Times Theatre Awards for Best Play and Best Actress, as well as a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival. More importantly, it has resonated strongly with audiences, who recognized in Mairead and Mal’s stories the complexity of their own lives and relationships.
Janet Moran and Andrew Bennett, who embodied the characters on stage with wit and poignancy, return for the radio production. According to O’Brien, the intimacy of radio makes it the perfect format for this story, allowing listeners to hear the characters’ most private confessions up close. “It is worth listening to for their brilliant performances alone,” he said.
With its mix of humor, heartache, and humanity, Heaven continues to strike a chord—reminding us of the fragile line between what we dream of and what we live through.
