The Man in the Woman's Shoes

Following sell-out performances nationwide in 2019 and 2020 Mikel Murphy returns to Westport Town Hall Theatre with his series of companion shows, The Man in the Woman's Shoes (August 3rd), I Hear you and Rejoice (August 4th) and his new show The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey (December 7th)

Written and performed by Mikel Murfi, The Man In The Woman’s Shoes is an acclaimed tour de force performance by one of Ireland’s leading actors.

It’s October 1978. Pope John Paul the First is not long dead, autumn is closing in and Pat Farnon has ‘some business’ to do in town.

The Man In The Woman’s Shoes follows Pat as he walks the five miles from his white cottage to town and back again. He meets unforgettable characters along the way, including water diviner Huby Patterson, GAA enthusiast extraordinaire Kitsy Rainey, big voiced Casimir Marshall, an array of farmers all named Gilmartin and Kemp, a man whose idea of a good time is to direct traffic wherever he may find it. Pat may be an aging man but he has a boundless enthusiasm for life.

Hilariously funny, tender and at times downright daft, The Man in The Woman’s Shoes, will leave you uplifted and in love with life again.

"I think none of us is old, me heart has never been old ..."

AWARDS

Winner: Stewart Parker/ BBC Northern Ireland Radio Drama Award 2013

Winner: Writers Guild of Ireland (Zebby) Award 2014: Best Theatre Script

Shortlisted: Irish Times Theatre Awards: Best New Play 2013

REVIEWS

“Astonishing Acting….” - The New York Times

“A miniature masterpiece” - The Times of London

“Extraordinary physical performance…sharp observational comedy” - The Sunday Times

The show was created with the support of the Sligo County Council Arts Service and The Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo as part of the Bealtaine Festival for Creativity in older people.

The Man In The Woman’s Shoes has toured extensively in Ireland since 2012. It has played twice in NYC at the Irish Arts Centre in Manhattan. It ran for three weeks at The Tricycle Theatre, London in 2016 to full houses. It is available for limited touring.

BIOGRAPHY

Originally from Sligo, Mikel Murfi trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Paris.

Stage acting includes Swan Lake (Teac Damsa); The Man in The Woman’s Shoes (Loco and Reckless Productions); The Last Hotel and Ballyturk (Galway Arts Festival/Landmark/Wide Open Opera); The New Electric Ballroom (Druid); The Chairs (Blue Raincoat Theatre); Morning After Optimism, Playboy of the Western World (Peacock Theatre); The Comedy of Errors, The Tempest (Abbey Theatre) Giselle, Rite of Spring and Petrushka (Fabulous Beast) Desire Under The Elms (Lyric, Hammersmith).

Directing work includes Toraiocht (Fíbín); The Walworth Farce, Penelope (Druid); Trad, The Great Goat Bubble (Galway Arts Festival); The Country Girls (Red Kettle); Diamonds in the Soil (Macnas); Waiting for Godot (Theatre Du Pif, Hong Kong); The Far Off Hills (Nomad Theatre Network).

Film includes The Ballad of Kid Kanturk, Intermission, Sweety Barrett, The Butcher Boy, Love and Rage, Guiltrip and most recently Jimmy’s Hall. As a director Druma and John Duffy’s Brother