A Donegal man’s extraordinary encounter with the cosmos serves as the inspiration for a new play set to grace the national stage this June.
Static, penned by Belfast playwright Jimmy McAleavey, will premiere at the Abbey Theatre on Friday, June 20th. The play centers on an amateur radio enthusiast in Donegal who unexpectedly establishes contact with an astronaut in space via his radio.
These events mirror the true story of the late Manus Joe McClafferty from Falcarragh, who gained recognition for connecting with Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev aboard the Mir space station in the 1990s. As the Soviet Union faced upheaval, Manus Joe kept Sergei informed through his ham radio transmissions.
Static is a world premiere directed by John King, a former Abbey Theatre Resident Director, from the script of Jimmy McAleavey. Featuring Dan Gordon and Seán Mahon, the play is located in Letterkenny and will be performed on the Abbey’s Peacock Stage from Friday, June 20th, to Friday, July 18th.
While drawing inspiration from a real event during the Soviet Union’s dissolution in the 1990s, the play explores themes of isolation, communication, and the ambivalent nature of technology, rendering it perhaps even more pertinent in contemporary society.
Static is featured within the Abbey Theatre’s 2025 artistic program and is one of six world premieres slated for the Abbey and Peacock Stages this year, alongside works by playwrights Kevin Barry, Barbara Bergin, Marina Carr, Carys D. Coburn, and Caitríona Daly.
Play about Donegal man’s chats with space has lift-off! was last modified: June 11th, 2025 by
