Unspeakable Conversations Once Off Productions & Galway International Arts Festival

I am at Princeton University. My host is Professor Peter Singer, often called the most influential philosopher of our time. He is the man who wants me dead. No, that’s not fair ...

Can an argument be made for killing disabled babies within the first months of their lives? Peter Singer, philosopher and author of Animal Liberation, says yes. Harriet McBryde Johnson, attorney and disability rights activist, disagrees.

In a new play based on their Princeton encounter and immortalised in Johnson’s New York Times Magazine article, Unspeakable Conversations thrusts us into the heart of this life and death debate, asking us all to consider this question.

Internationally acclaimed disabled actors Liz Carr [Silent Witness; Loki; Olivier Award winner; The Normal Heart National Theatre, London] and Mat Fraser [American Horror Story; His Dark Materials, Loudermilk, Richard III] take to the stage as Harriet and Peter, but also as themselves, as friends and actors, to interrogate this unspeakable conversation through humour and personal insight, mixing verbatim text with their own words.

Provocative, transformative, and highly entertaining, this exhilarating theatre experience was conceived by Christian O’Reilly and written in collaboration with Liz Carr, Mat Fraser and Olwen Fouéré.

Accessible Performances

Irish Sign Language Interpreted Performance:
Saturday 27 July, 2pm

Captioned Performance:
Friday 19 July, 8pm

The Mick Lally Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Please contact our box office (boxoffice@druid.ie or 091 568660) to reserve accessible seating. Alternatively, please add a comment to your booking when using the online box office.

Post-Show Discussion

Friday 19 July, following the 8pm performance

Running Time

1 hour and 25 minutes approx with no interval.

Content Guidance

Recommended for age 14+

Credits

Written by Christian O’Reilly in collaboration with Liz Carr, Mat Fraser and Olwen Fouéré.

Directed by Olwen Fouéré and Kellie Hughes.

Produced in association with Magic Pill Productions, Mermaid Arts Centre and Independent Living Movement Ireland.

Originally developed with the support of The Abbey Theatre (Engine Room), Town Hall Theatre (Patron Donation Award) and National Theatre (London).

Image: Mat Fraser and Liz Carr, photo by Peter Searle.