Entertainment

Chris Walley has a starring role in a West End revival of his favourite play – but it’s not without its challenges

CORK native Chris Walley has landed a starring role in a play that has been his favourite since his teenage years.

The 30-year-old, who hails from Gleann Maghair, first burst onto our screens as Jock in hit film The Young Offenders in 2016.

It’s a role he continues to play in the subsequent RTÉ/BBC series of the same name.

The actor completed filming on season five of The Young Offenders in July, and we will get to enjoy the fruits of his labour next year when the series hits screens in Ireland and the UK.

In the meantime, he will play Treat in a West End revival of Orphans.

Lyle Kessler’s Tony Award-nominated play is set in Philadelphia in the US in 1983, where two isolated brothers’ lives are upended by a mysterious stranger.

Treat is the older brother in Kessler’s story, who looks out for his younger sibling Philip, who has not stepped foot outside their home in years.

The arrival of a new person in their carefully constructed existence looks set to shatter everything they were just about holding together.

Directed by Al Miller and with Forbes Mason and Fred Woodley Evans joining Walley to complete the cast, Orphans opens at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London next month.

Walley is no stranger to the London theatre scene, of course, having starred in the likes of Juno and the Paycock at the Gielgud Theatre in 2024 and The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Noel Coward Theatre in 2018, for which he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Currently in rehearsals for Orphans, which opens on January 7, the actor took some time out to tell us what we can expect from the production…

Chris Walley stars in Orphans at the Jermyn Street Theatre next month

What attracted you to this production?

Orphans has been my favourite play since I was 14.

I was introduced to it by my drama teacher then and just fell in love with it.

I did a production of it when I was 19, playing Phillip, and have been desperate to do it again since then.

So, when this opportunity presented itself and I was offered Treat, I was over the moon - I couldn't wait to get stuck into it again.

How would you describe your character?

Treat is an incredibly troubled, volatile young man, who is ferociously loyal and devoted to his brother but doesn’t best know how to deal with his emotions.

He has grown up in an environment with little to no care and as a result of that is unable to handle and cope with his emotions.

What’s been most challenging about taking on this role?

What has been most challenging about playing Treat is the nature of these emotions and the wild swings that he goes on, from such elation to anger so quickly.

Trying to find the mental pathways and trigger points for him is something that has been really fun to investigate but definitely challenging.

He’s a super impulsive, ferocious person and it’s a challenge trying to make those turns make sense.

There are some dark themes in Orphans, can the audience expect any respite under Al Miller’s direction?

Yes, most definitely there’ll be a lot of respite.

It’s a very funny play. I always think the best work - if it’s very heavy - should always be full of moments of levity.

I feel like the darkness of shows like this is so much more effective when there are moments of levity and humour.

Lyle Kessler has most definitely written that very effectively into the script, and I think Al is pulling that out of the script brilliantly.

Would you describe Treat as a villain or a victim?

I wouldn't describe Treat as a villain or a victim. I think, as with all good characters and writing, he’s a mix of both.

He’s a very complex human being and he’s multi-faceted.

Orphans opens in the West End next month

What are your highlights of the production?

The rehearsals are always incredibly enjoyable and they’re always a big highlight for me - that phase where you get to sketch and play about and fall on your arse and get back up and just try things out.

There’s a lot of laughs and it’s an exploration phase that is always very fulfilling. I find it deepens me as an actor every time.

I find every time I do a play; I come away a better actor.

How does this role compare to your previous stage work?

This is quite different to my previous work.

I always hope and strive to play as many varied parts and roles as possible, and this is just another one of those.

Many will know you as Jock from The Young Offenders. Did you ever expect the show to be such a hit?

No, we didn’t initially expect it to be as much of a hit as it was.

We knew we were making something special that everyone was totally committed to. We just never really know if those things are going to land.

And thankfully it did. It really seemed to resonate with people so I’m very grateful for that.

Do you have a preference when it comes to stage or screen work?

I would not have a preference either way. I love them both.

I find that a lot of the time doing theatre work, in my experience, I’ve gotten opportunities to play characters that are further away from me, which is very rewarding and enjoyable.

Sometimes that can be a better aspect of theatre work but in general I love them both just as much.

When I do one, I want to move on and do the other one and kind of move back and forth. Ideally, I try to do one play a year.