Premiere of one-woman show ‘another level of special’, says Athlone's Leah Egan

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Athlone actress and director Leah Egan received a standing ovation following the premiere of her original one-woman show, The Straits of Tullyfin, at Athlone Little Theatre during Culture Night.

The sell-out show took place in Athlone Little Theatre for Culture Night on Friday, September 18, marking Leah's return to the stage after nine years and her first time performing a play written by herself.

“A sold-out show and standing ovation is above and beyond what I expected,” Leah said. “To have so many bums on seats in Athlone Theatre was another level of special.”

The idea for the show had been developing for some time, with Leah keen to strip storytelling back to its simplest form.

“I was interested in the challenge of stripping back to basics as a storyteller; telling a story, on my feet, as me, by myself on a stage and seeing what happened,” she said.

Leah began writing the show on August 1, giving her just six weeks to complete the script and prepare a workshopped performance.

“Learning 25 pages of dialogue in three days is not for the faint-hearted!” she said, adding that people may have spotted her walking around Athlone with her script, talking to herself in the days before the performance.

The show also marked a return to Leah’s theatrical roots. Her training was in theatre, before she went on to work primarily on-set in Ireland, the UK and Canada.

Her last stage performance was in 2017, when she appeared alongside her mother in a sold-out production of Little Gem.

“On-set you have the ‘cushion’ of re-takes, no live audience. On-stage you’re on, you’re there, and you have to strap in and enjoy the ride. There’s no do-overs,” she said.

Performing the show in her hometown was particularly meaningful for Leah, who grew up watching her mother perform at Athlone Little Theatre.

“Since returning back to Athlone, and having lived abroad for a very long time, it’s important to me to create locally,” she said.

“The love and support in that room blew me away. Everyone was locked in and ready for some fun. People I knew and people who came along simply because they wanted to hear a story. It was a magical moment I’ll remember for a very long time.”

Leah thanked Athlone Little Theatre, the Westmeath Arts Office and everyone who came out to support the production on the night.