I feel so fucking silly
but I thought they meant real peace
fucking hell Katey
I thought they meant that even my body
it might stop
breaking

Northern Ireland, 1998. The Good Friday Agreement has just been signed, and politicians are shaking hands and declaring peace in our time. Away from all that spectacle, Kate receives an urgent phone call. As she travels to the coastal town of Portbenoney to confront an old lover, dark memories of their life together rise in her like a river.

This is Paradise by Michael John O'Neill speaks in a fierce and powerful voice. With brutal lyricism, it examines the legacy of violence and asks how we can begin to mend in its wake.

The play opened at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2022.

About the Author
Michael John O'Neill is a playwright, dramaturg and theatre producer from the north coast of Ireland. Michael's first play, Akedah, won the Bruntwood Prize Original New Voice Award 2019 and premiered in the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs in 2023. His second play This is Paradise was presented at Traverse Theatre in both 2021 and 2022 as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and won the Popcorn Writing Award 2021. In 2020 his digital short Sore Afraid was produced by National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre, and BBC Scotland, and his audio short Part of That World was produced by Pitlochry Festival Theatre. He is developing new plays with the Almeida Theatre (as part of the Genesis New Writers' Programme), Lyric Theatre Belfast and National Theatre of Scotland (as Writer on Attachment). In 2022 he completed the BBC Voices Programme and was shortlisted for the Element Pictures Northern Irish Writers' Award. He has an original TV show in development with House Productions. His work as a theatre producer includes as Artistic Producer of the Tron Theatre (2014-2020), where he founded the Tron's new work department and commissioned and produced Isobel McArthur's Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of).


Book Information
ISBN 9780571376049
Author Michael John O'Neill
Format Paperback
Page Count 112
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 125g
Dimensions(mm) 200mm * 130mm * 8mm