Eoin McAndrew

Contemporary Northern Irish drama frequently explores the sharp intersections of family dynamics, deception, and personal identity on stage. Playwright and actor Eoin McAndrew established a prominent voice in modern theater with his award-winning play Little Brother, which earned the 2024 Verity Bargate Award prior to its publication and London production.

As a writer across stage, screen, and radio, his work bridges dark comedy with character-driven drama, bringing distinct regional perspectives to audiences across the United Kingdom.

Career & Background

Eoin McAndrew is a Northern Irish playwright, actor, comedian, and screenwriter based in London. His professional development includes selection for the Royal Court Theatre's International Playwriting Group, the BBC Comedy Writers Room, and the BBC Radio Ulster Comedy Writing Group. He was also selected for the Greenlight Screenwriting Lab to develop a new television pilot.

McAndrew's plays have been staged across various venues and festivals, including the Royal Court, Theatre 503, Southwark Playhouse, The Other Room in Cardiff, Jermyn Street Theatre, and Summerhall at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His play RUSSELL was selected for the Royal Shakespeare Company's 37 Plays initiative and performed in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Writing Style & Themes

McAndrew's writing often blends comedic rhythm with tragicomedy, focusing on dysfunctional family relationships, domestic tension, and isolation. In plays such as The Devil's in the Chair, he depicts a Northern Irish family reluctantly gathering for Christmas in a remote cottage in rural Donegal, using sharp dialogue and close-quarters staging to explore interpersonal friction.

Themes of deceit, fabrication, and personal mythology feature prominently in his work. In The Girl Who Was Very Good at Lying, McAndrew investigates how dishonesty and self-invention affect human connection. His background as an improviser and actor contributes to realistic dialogue and structured narrative pacing across his theatrical catalog.

Major Works

• Little Brother — Awarded the 2024 Verity Bargate Award and published as part of the NHB Modern Plays series by Nick Hern Books ahead of its Soho Theatre debut.
• The Girl Who Was Very Good at Lying — A short-run play premiered during Jermyn Street Theatre's Footprints Festival before transferring to Summerhall at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
• The Devil's in the Chair — A stage work capturing the emotional and comedic friction of a Northern Irish family spending Christmas together in rural Donegal.
• RUSSELL — A play chosen as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 37 Plays project and staged in Stratford-upon-Avon.