I’m having great fun rustling up the Q&As of the 2016 Creative Team for The 24 Hour Plays in aid of Dublin Youth Theatre supported by BNP Paribas Real Estate. I am realising, however, I will never be one of the writers. I couldn’t bear the pressure unlike today’s subject, Lee Coffey, who reckons it is what will get him through the night of January 30th to write a play by 6am on January 31st. That attitude and his lightning reflexes from years of playing video games should do the trick. Find out more about Lee online or read on, my friend!
In exciting news just announced this week, Rough Magic have chosen Lee as one of five artists to participate in their prestigious SEEDS programme, a development initiative for emerging theatre practitioners.
Introduce yourself please. You can even describe yourself in the style of a chat show host describing your whole complex life in two sentences if you are feeling like a life-affirming challenge.
I am Lee Coffey, a writer from Dublin. I write plays, direct plays and I like to see plays. All of the plays.
Have you participated in The 24 Hour Plays in aid of Dublin Youth Theatre before? If yes what is your fondest/ most nightmare causing memories? If no what are you looking forward to/ terrified of?
I’ve never participated before. I’m looking forward to the challenge of having a couple of hours to come up with a play, it’s very exciting. Which also terrifies me but the pressure is what’ll get you there. I can’t wait.
When you were a teenager what was your greatest interest?
Comedy and video games. I would play for hours and hours, floating off into whatever world was there, dying constantly! Ah, video games.
If you were stuck on a boat with a tiger what play would you act out for him to keep him at bay?
The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh. There are so many characters to play, I’d have lots of running around to do which would hopefully stop the tiger from eating me.
If you could time travel would you go forward or back and why?
I’d go back. Probably to the Wild West because it looks like great craic all together. Hanging out with outlaws like Jesse James. No rules, just drinking and fighting in the sun with your mates, it’s like an older version of a holiday to Ibiza by the sounds of it.
Don’t miss Lee Coffey’s contribution to The 24 Hour Plays in aid of Dublin supported by BNP Paribas Real Estate. Book your ticket now and see you on January 31 in the Abbey Theatre.