News: Declan Bennett makes writing debut at The Turbine Theatre

Declan Bennett (Carousel at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, ITV’s The Long Call) makes his writing debut at The Turbine Theatre.

Boy Out the City is an intimate, autobiographical one-person show, following Declan as he moves out of the Big Smoke to a sleepy Oxfordshire village and struggles to adapt to life alone in the pandemic. Through countless sleepless nights, we delve into his past as he attempts to lay old ghosts to rest.

From his Catholic school days in Coventry, to discovering his sexuality in the 90s, to falling in love and escaping to the countryside, this is the story of a man in search of identity, while baking copious amounts of banana bread.

Boy Out the City explores numerous male health issues, as Declan discusses his experiences of living with anxiety and his diagnosis of testicular cancer in his 20s.

He said, “I unexpectedly spent most of the last six months of lockdown on my own. My partner was working overseas and I was living in a new and unfamiliar place. I’ve been to therapy and read countless books, and spent years on my recovery, and I knew that the best way to deal with my emotions was to be curious, to unravel the thoughts and use the time to give myself a creative outlet, a distraction.

“Boy Out the City is my first play, and, like me, it’s a work in progress and my wonderful friend, director and dramaturg, Nancy Sullivan, is helping me create a brave slice of magic. I’m also very grateful to my Producer, Lauren Reed, and Paul Taylor-Mills at the Turbine for believing in me and pushing this project forward.”

The production plays at the Battersea venue from 9 to 13 November.

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