Pure Mental by Keith Walsh – National Tour!
Riverbank Arts Centre presents the world premiere of Keith Walsh’s debut play, Pure Mental, in November 2021, followed by a national tour to 16 venues across the country.
Having finished up a 5-year stint presenting, in the pressure cooker that is a breakfast show, on National Radio, Keith Walsh finally found a bit of time for himself. He decided to take a step back, to try and figure out what the hell was going on in his head.
What is Pure Mental about?
Keith started to go to therapy, he struggled to put a label on the way he was feeling. What was it? Midlife Crisis? Midlife awakening? Breakdown? Well his family thought he was going mad. What he did do was go on a journey to find and chat to his demons and to find the real person underneath the fuzzy mess of stress. What happened in his childhood that made him unable to access the emotions he needed to tackle life in his 40s?
Specific in that Keith is wrestling his own demons, Pure Mental also has an everyman quality and relevance, exploring the pressures and societal expectations of the 40-something Irish male. Keith’s autobiographical tale also contains a witty and very identifiable take on growing up in Midlands Ireland in the 1980s.
Pure Mental is Keith’s first work as a playwright, and he has risen to the challenge with the help of director and dramaturg Janet Moran (A Holy Show, Swing, My Romantic History and Looking for America)
It’s been great to have the play to focus on at this time.’ Keith says. ‘ Working with Janet has been a dream, to be honest when I realised that what I was writing might work on stage, she was the first person I thought of. I sent her what I’d written and she was up for it. So here we are. No turning back now. To be honest…it’s all a bit mental!’
Also an acclaimed writer and performer, Janet has brought a wealth of staging expertise to Keith script. The pair have been working together over the last year honing the theatrical elements of Pure Mental and fine-tuning the comedic aspects of this funny, open-hearted new play.
‘Having known each other for 20 plus years, this is our first time collaborating. Janet says. ‘So far we’ve conducted script meetings and rehearsals over zoom with impatient children and coffee supplying partners making appearances. We’re looking forward to getting in a theatre with a live audience’
Alex Rosiak, Acting Director of Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, is delighted to be supporting and presenting this tour of Pure Mental. ‘Supporting artists in the exploration of their practice and creation of new work is a core part of what we do at Riverbank Arts Centre. This project with Keith and Janet was a particularly exciting collaboration, as it marks Keith’s first step into theatre. When we presented a work in progress of Pure Mental in June, over 4,000 people tuned in online. Keith’s personal story will chime with a lot of people. Producing a National tour is a new departure for Riverbank too, though we are used to working with partner venues throughout the country. Audiences are really missing the thrill of live theatre and we’re proud that we can help deliver that thrill to venues across Ireland with this dynamic new play’
‘You will laugh, you might cry, the voices in my head are telling me that you might want to throw rotten fruit at me? Is that still a thing? In the end we’ll all feel a lot better. I hope.’ Keith Walsh
Credits:
Keith Walsh – Writer/Performer
Janet Moran – Director/Co-Writer
Phil Jennings – Production Designer
Riverbank Arts Centre – Producer
Pure Mental is produced by Riverbank Arts Centre with the support of the Arts Council, Creative Ireland and Kildare County Council, with additional support by Mermaid Arts Centre.
Full Tour Dates:
NOVEMBER, 2021
Friday 19 & Saturday 20 November │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
Booking; 045 448 327
Sunday, 21 November │ 8pm│BOOK NOW
The Everyman, Cork
Booking: 021 450 1673
Tuesday, 23 November │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo
Booking: 071 9161518
Wednesday, 24 November │ 8pm│ BOOK NOW
INEC, Killarney
Booking: 064 6671555
Thursday, 25 November │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone
Booking: 09064 92129
Friday, 26 November │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Belltable, Limerick
Booking: 061 953 400
Saturday, 27 November │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk
Booking: 042 9332332
Tuesday, 30 November │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
Booking: 01 2724030
DECEMBER
Wednesday, 1 December │ 8pm│ BOOK NOW
Presentation Arts Centre, Enniscorthy
Booking:
Thursday, 2 December │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar
Booking: 094 902 3733
Friday 3 & Saturday, 4 December │ 8pm │BOOK NOW
Draíocht, Blanchardstown
Booking: 01 885 2622
Tuesday, 7 December │ 8pm│ BOOK NOW
Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise
Booking: 057 866 3355
Wednesday, 8 December │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
glór, Ennis
Booking: 065 684 3103
Thursday, 9 December │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
The Source Arts Centre, Thurles
Booking: 504 90204
Friday, 10 December │ 8pm │BOOK NOW
Townhall Theatre, Cavan
Booking: 049 4380494
Wednesday 15 December │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny
Booking: 074 912 0777
Thursday 16 & Friday 17 December │ 8pm │ BOOK NOW
Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny
Booking: 056 7761674
