Interview: Lots of Laughter, But the Bitter Taste of Bereavement

Ollie Maddigan tells us about The Olive Boy

From an initial start at the Camden Fringe to touring, an OffWestEnd award and now a full run at Southwark Playhouse, The Olive Boy has really been on a journey. A powerful, deeply moving articulation of adolescent grief, it’s at times hilariously funny, but at others has the audience choking back tears. We wanted to know more about this impressive piece of work, which ET recently gave five stars, so called up writer and performer Ollie Maddigan to have a chat.

Hi Ollie. Thanks so much for speaking with us right in the middle of the run of The Olive Boy! You must be exhausted! Can you tell us what the play is about?

Yes of course! The Olive Boy is a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama that explores a pivotal period in my teenage years, following the sudden death of my mother and my move to live with my father. The play introduces an obnoxious, crude, and naïve version of myself, who guides the audience through starting at a new school, chasing girls, and trying to make new friends – all while desperately insisting that he is absolutely fine. As the story unfolds, that carefully constructed façade begins to crack, revealing what lies beneath: a grieving boy struggling with loss and longing for his mum.

How did you decide that you wanted to dramatise what is clearly such a deeply personal story?

When you’re a young, aspiring writer, you’re constantly told to write what you know – and at the time I began this play, this was what I knew best. I tried writing other stories, but it always felt as though this was the one I had to get off my chest first. There was also a strong desire to transform something so painful into something beautiful, and, ultimately, to create something that would make my mum proud and allow others, who will never get to meet her, to at least know a bit about her.

You’re working with director Scott Le Crass, who clearly has a meticulous eye. What’s that been like?

Scott is – without exaggeration – the best director I have ever worked with. He understands the script on a level I have never experienced before. Working with Scott never feels like work; the rehearsal room was full of joy, playfulness, and discovery, and I hope that energy is clearly felt – particularly in the first half of the show. Crucially, Scott never tried to ‘control’ my story. Instead, he supported and guided me, helping me tell it in the strongest and most truthful way possible.

The show has been running for several years now but has clearly been evolving in that time. Can you talk about how it has changed?

I believe I’ve grown significantly as both a writer and an actor since the piece first began. In many ways, this play has been my drama school. I’ve learned to understand and trust the power of stillness, silence, and subtlety far more than I did during its first run in 2021. I’ve also deliberately taken a year-long gap between each run, allowing the piece to breathe, so that I can return to it each time with a fresh pair of eyes and a deeper understanding.

Grief is an experience universally to be encountered, but childhood grief is particularly profound. How have young audiences in particular responded to the show?

There is a noticeably different response to the first half of the show: adults tend to laugh at me, while teenagers and younger audiences laugh with me. When the play then turns on its head – when those seemingly inconsequential jokes return with tragic consequences – you can feel a real shift in the room. Younger audiences, in particular, become visibly uncomfortable, as if they are travelling the journey alongside me, whereas adults tend to observe it from a slight distance.

So from your initial run at the Hope Theatre back in 2021 to winning an OffWestEnd award, to now playing at the Southwark Playhouse, you’ve achieved a huge amount, but what’s next for The Olive Boy?

Honestly, I don’t know. This could be the last run – maybe not. I think there will come a point where I need to move on, but I would always be open to returning to the show if it truly made sense. That said, I have to be careful about how often I perform it. It is extremely emotionally exhausting, and at times deeply upsetting. At the same time, there is an immense sense of pride in hearing that the show has helped other people, and that makes the journey feel worthwhile.

Thanks very much to Ollie for taking time out of his busy schedule to give us the background to this extraordinary production.

The Olive Boy runs at Southwark Playhouse, Borough until Saturday 31 January.