Interview: Marital Bliss or Wedded Miss? A Theatrical Journey to HEAVEN

Andrew Bennett discusses performing in Eugene O’Brien’s HEAVEN

Fishamble, the four-time Fringe First and Olivier Award-winning company, has long been at the forefront of championing new Irish writing. Known for its dedication to discovering and developing plays that resonate both nationally and internationally, the company now brings HEAVEN by Eugene O’Brien to the stage. With a reputation for crafting stories that are deeply human, HEAVEN is no exception.

We sat down with Andrew Bennett, who plays Mal, to talk about the play’s intimacy, the challenge of portraying brutal honesty on stage, and why HEAVEN strikes a chord with audiences everywhere.

Welcome to ET, Andrew, can you tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m Andrew Bennett, playing Mal in Eugene O’Brien’s HEAVEN, presented by Fishamble: The New Play Company. The show comes to Southwark Playhouse Borough from 5–22 February, then moves to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre from 25 February – 1 March, before touring Ireland until April.

Why those venues?

We’re in the smaller of the Southwark Playhouse venues (Southwark Playhouse Borough – The Little). I think the intimacy will suit the show; we’ve played in houses of varying sizes, and smaller always seems better. We’ll be playing front-on, which is how the show began. In Edinburgh, we had the audience on three sides, which forced some changes (and we’ll return to the same venue and space at the end of the month). That staging opened it up a bit and gave it more air. Hopefully, we’ll be able to maintain that sense of movement in London.

What can audiences expect from the show?

The show takes the form of intercut monologues between a married couple. It explores life in your fifties and asks: do you settle into a kind of limbo, or do you dare to take a leap in the hope of heaven? Is the truth too dangerous?

What drew you to this role?

I’ve always been a fan of Eugene’s work; I loved his play Eden. We’re around the same age, both from rural Ireland, and were both educated by the Jesuits—all of which is true of Mal, the character I play.

What do you enjoy most about playing Mal?

What I admire most in Mal is his honesty. Both characters are entirely truthful when speaking to the audience—maybe less so in their real lives, and that’s part of the play’s strength. Mairead and Mal need the audience, and I think audiences feel that.

Can you describe a moment in the production process that felt magical or transformative?

The most magical moment was the first reading of the play. I had read it several times before, but as I was focused on learning Mal’s lines, I was mainly thinking about his voice. The day we sat around the rehearsal table and read it together, it came alive. The interaction between the two voices is so cleverly worked out—Eugene uses it to examine the intimacies and distances in a marriage, often to hilarious effect.

If your show had a soundtrack, what songs would definitely be on it, and why?

That’s easy—HEAVEN already has its own soundtrack. Mal says: “We’ve both enjoyed swinging around to Sweet Caroline, Walk of Life, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, and Hound Dog.”

Who do you think will enjoy the show the most?

At first, I thought the people who would enjoy it most would be Irish country folk in their fifties – and they certainly laugh more than anyone! But after performing it in Edinburgh and New York, I can confidently say that anyone can connect with this play, young or old, Irish or otherwise, urban or rural.

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received in your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?

Good advice for a life in acting is the same as good advice for life in general. But the kind of people who give advice tend to be the kind of people I don’t want to be! The best advice I take comes from observing people I admire.

Thank you Andrew for talking to us, we wish you every success in the next few months.

HEAVEN plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until the 22nd February before moving to the Traverse Theatre Edinburgh bewteen 25th February and 1st March. It then goes on tour in Ireland until April.

Further information and booking are available at the links below:
Southwark Playhouse
Edinburgh Traverse
Irish Tour, Various Venues – find out more here.