Are you a disabled actor with an interest in making an impact on mainstream Irish theatre? Or a disabled person who has always wanted to act, but has never had the opportunity?

Disabled actors wanted to audition for a stage play inspired by the life of wheelchair-user Martin Naughton:
  • A male actor with a physical impairment (18+)
  • A female actor with a physical impairment (18+)
Director Raymond Keane (award-winning director of national and international acclaim) and his team (writer/producer/project lead Christian O’Reilly, Disability Equality Dramaturg Peter Kearns and producer Mitzi D’Alton) wish to audition disabled actors for No Magic Pill, a stage play inspired by the life of disabled activist Martin Naughton.
Martin left Spiddal for residential ‘special school’ in Dublin at the age of nine to be ‘cured’ of Muscular Dystrophy. He soon discovered there was no magic pill for disability and decided to change a disabling society instead. Teaming up with other disabled misfit activists, Martin – in essence Michael Collins in a wheelchair – was the driving force behind the War of Independence for disabled people in Ireland.
In casting disabled actors, we want to challenge the traditional stereotype within Irish drama of depicting disabled people as either objects of pity or inspiration. No Magic Pill hopes to break new ground and bring a fresh conversation and disability aesthetic to Irish theatre.
Supported by the Arts Council and in partnership with major national disability organisations – Arts & Disability Ireland, Disability Federation of Ireland, Independent Living Movement Ireland and Irish Wheelchair Association – as well as Town Hall (Galway), The Civic (Tallaght), Dublin Theatre Festival, Galway City Council and Galway County Council, No Magic Pill will be produced at Black Box (Galway) and The Civic (Tallaght) for Dublin Theatre Festival in Autumn of this year.
This will be a high-profile professional production, so previous theatre experience will be required. That said, we are very open to candidates who believe they have performance ability.
Anyone who wishes to be considered to audition should send their CV or a letter outlining their experience to date, including any brief disability equality drama thoughts and comments, to nomagicpillplay@gmail.com.
Selected candidates will be invited to attend a workshop/audition on Wednesday, March 16th, at Carmichael House, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7.