The explosive contradictions of life in Northern Ireland ignite this drama of suspense and violence.
Kyle is loyal to his wife, his best mate and his boss in the Ulster Defence Union – and they love him as a husband, a brother and a son – but, with changing times and the emerging peace process, Kyle finds himself lost in the shadows of transition, uncertainty, and betrayal. In a world turned upside down, peace and brutality walk side-by-side, while love and loyalty are sacrificed to the new order.
Gary Mitchell's play As the Beast Sleeps was first performed at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin, in 1998.
'His writing has the blazing conviction of lived experience combined with a highly welcome relish for strong plots'
— Daily Telegraph
'Exudes all the tension of a Hollywood thriller... thought provoking, disturbing but hugely entertaing and wildly funny... a must see'
— Irish News
'Few playwrights are better at scrutinising the intertwining of ideology and thuggery than Gary Mitchell'
— Observer
'The theatrical impact left me shaking. It's a terrific night of excitement and yes there are lots of laughs as well'
— Irish World
About the Author :
Gary Mitchell is a British playwright based in Northern Ireland. His plays, many of them political thrillers about contemporary life in Belfast, have been widely performed, and he has been called 'Northern Ireland's greatest playwright' (Guardian).
His stage plays include In a Little World of Our Own (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1997), As the Beast Sleeps (Abbey Theatre, 1998), Tearing the Loom (Lyric Belfast, 1998), Trust (Royal Court Upstairs, London, 1999), The Force of Change (Royal Court, 2000, winner of the George Devine Award and the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright), Loyal Women (Royal Court, 2003) and Burnt Out (Lyric, Belfast, 2023).
Review :
'His writing has the blazing conviction of lived experience combined with a highly welcome relish for strong plots'
'Exudes all the tension of a Hollywood thriller... thought provoking, disturbing but hugely entertaing and wildly funny... a must see'
'Few playwrights are better at scrutinising the intertwining of ideology and thuggery than Gary Mitchell'
'The theatrical impact left me shaking. It's a terrific night of excitement and yes there are lots of laughs as well'
