Article Source: The Pavilion Theatre
Last Updated: 20 April 2025 11:38
Have you ever walked past a homeless person begging in the street and turned your head away pretending not to see them? If we’re honest, most of us have. And when Derry playwright Brian Foster did so, the sense of guilt he felt afterwards compelled him to write his most successful play, MYRA’S STORY.
He said: ‘It happened some years back on a freezing cold December day when I was down in Dublin on business. Spotting a homeless woman ahead of me begging on Ha’penny Bridge as I crossed over, I hurried past, pretending to talk into my mobile. I shot her a quick glance as she hunkered low holding out a plastic cup. She was maybe mid-forties, with high cheek-bones and piercing green eyes. Her bruised face still held traces of a past beauty.
“Back in the comfort of Wynn’s Hotel, I could not help but wonder... who was she? What had life thrown at her that had caused her to end up like that? I returned to the bridge within the hour, hoping to clear my conscience with a donation. But she was gone. All that remained as evidence of her existence was her empty plastic begging cup lying on the grubby piece of cardboard on which she’d squatted.
“Back home in Derry, I could not get that tragic lady’s face out of my head. It haunted me for days, for weeks, until finally the sense of guilt made me sit down and begin writing. A month later I had completed the first draft of Myra’s Story. The original story I set in my native Derry, then later re-wrote it with a Dublin setting.”
The story depicts a day in the life of middle-aged homeless alcoholic, Myra McLaughlin, living rough on the streets of Dublin. As she begs from passers-by she relives her backstory. Playing all the larger than life Dublin characters, male and female, acting out all the hilarious, harrowing and ultimately heart breaking twists and turns of life that have taken her to alcoholism and destitution. Audiences laugh and cry (often at the same time) as Myra sweeps them along on a rollercoaster ofemotions. Hers is the face we so often turn away from in public, pretending not to see.
With the brilliant Dublin actor Fíonna Hewitt-Twamley giving astonishing performances, MYRA’S STORY has been a phenomenal success wherever it plays, with standing ovations in venues seating up to 1500 people, including four sellout Edinburgh Fringes and a fantastic London West End run.
Why is the play so successful? Because, although set in Dublin, the story could take place in any town, in any city, worldwide. The twin evils of homelessness and addiction being universal, audience members wherever can relate to the damaged character they see up on stage. Myra is their sister, their brother, their mother their father. Myra is any one of them... any one of US... as she says in the play, ‘there but for the grace of God.’
Myra's Story comes to The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow between Tuesday 22nd April and Sunday 27th April, final tickets on sale now at trafalgartickets.com
The Irish play described by audiences as the finest, funniest, most heart-breaking piece of theatre they've ever seen returns to The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow!
READ MOREPaisley Food and Drink Festival returns on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th April for its biggest event yet with an extended site and more vendors than ever before!
READ MORESpanish fashion label Pull&Bear has joined the line-up at leading retail and leisure destination Silverburn, marking the brand’s Glasgow debut and second store in Scotland.
READ MOREWestFest, Glasgow's biggest community led, cultural festival today launches the programme for its 2025 event!
READ MOREThe Scottish Rum Festival is delighted to announce its return to Glasgow, marking a special milestone – five years since the festival first launched as a virtual celebration in 2020.
READ MOREThe National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust have teamed up to give an insight into the complexity of the Battle of Culloden in a pair of podcasts this April.
READ MOREDobbies Garden Centres is hosting a very special FREE Grow How event in stores across the UK this May in partnership with Alzheimer's Research UK to mark Dementia Action Week.
READ MOREGill McIntyre, Glasgow Coffee Festival's Specialist & Event Coordinator, shares her can't miss moments ahead of this year's event!
READ MOREElaine C Smith picked up the illustrious award for her exceptional contribution to the Pantomime Industry for many decades as one of Scotland's best-loved pantomime legends.
READ MORECuvée, a new Champagne, wine and cheese bar is set to open in Glasgow’s West End at the end of April.
READ MOREDobbies Garden Centres are celebrating National Children's Gardening Week by welcoming families along to its Children's Planting and Afternoon Tea experience on Saturday 31st May.
READ MOREThis Easter, get ready to bounce into an unforgettable adventure at Gravity Active.
READ MOREA festival for Glasgow's littlest revellers is launching this summer, and it's set to be a treat for the whole family!
READ MOREGlasgow Fort has confirmed its opening hours for the upcoming Easter weekend and is inviting families to enjoy a packed programme of fun, food and entertainment throughout the school holidays!
READ MORERickshaw & Co., a vibrant Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant in Glasgow's West End, is proudly taking part in the city's 850th anniversary celebrations as a must-visit destination for food.
READ MOREGlaschu, one of Glasgow's most established fine dining restaurants, will join forces with acclaimed chef, Brian Maule for two nights only next month.
READ MOREGlasgow's creatives are having a studio clear out ahead of the Spring Clean Artists and Makers Market this weekend; a unique shopping experience with a focus on seconds and samples.
READ MORESilverburn, Glasgow's leading shopping and leisure destination, has announced that Black Sheep Coffee has opened its doors, serving as a sanctuary for coffee lovers.
READ MOREGlasgow Fort is on the hunt for its first-ever CFO... and it's not Chief Finance Officer but Chief Fun Officer!
READ MORELegendary Scottish singer-songwriter Horse McDonald is set to deliver an unforgettable performance on top of the Pavilion Theatre on Monday 7th April.
READ MORERockstar Energy presents TRNSMT has announced the BBC Introducing Stage, previously River Stage, will showcase 20 of the most exciting emerging artists in the country.
READ MOREFirst Bus is making minor service updates to 33 routes across Glasgow from Sunday 20th April as its new AI-driven timetables continue to improve reliability for customers across the city.
READ MOREExpect all of the usual madness plus special themed prizes and music at Bongo's Bingo's 90s specials at SWG3 Glasgow in June!
READ MOREScottish HARIBO-lovers are in for a treat! The UK’s leading confectionery manufacturer, and creator of Tangfastics and Starmix, is set to open its first retail store in Scotland.
READ MOREThe National Trust for Scotland is hopping into spring as it hosts 40 Easter egg trails at the special places in its care in April!
READ MOREPioneering pitmaster Pat Martin is coming to Glasgow as Meatopia makes its Scottish debut at SWG3 in June!
READ MORETaste the Place, a new range of experiences celebrating Glasgow's rich cultural heritage through food, has launched!
READ MOREGlasgow International Comedy Festival welcomed over 61,000 comedy fans to 605 shows this year, marking its biggest ever event!
READ MOREGlasgow's leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn has expanded its streetwear offering with the addition of globally recognised urban fashion brand, Bee Inspired.
READ MOREGovan Music Festival has wrapped up in Glasgow after four joyful days of music and community participation, showcasing themes of hope, renewal and connection across its programme.
READ MORE