MY LEFT NUT by Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney

The True Story of a Belfast boy growing up with no father to guide him through, and a giant ball to weigh him down.

Production shots by Peter Murray

400 millilitres. That’s how much liquid was drained from Michael’s left testicle when he was a teenager. That’s more than a can of coke. He should have told someone sooner, but who could he turn to? His dad died ten years ago and besides, school is full of rumours about what the giant bulge in his trousers actually is. Who wants to stop that?

UPCOMING THEATRE DATES

My Left Nut is going international!

We will be bringing My left Nut to STET - The English Speaking Theatre at The Hague in The Netherlands. 29th and 30th October 2022.

My Left Nut Trailer

Now a BBC Three Series

Michael & Oisín have adapted their award winning play into a three part series on BBC Three - see more information here.

Watch the series on iPlayer here.

Sinead Keenan, Nathan Quinn O’Rawe, Ollie Anthony & Levi O’Sullivan in BBC Three’s My Left Nut

Sinead Keenan, Nathan Quinn O’Rawe, Ollie Anthony & Levi O’Sullivan in BBC Three’s My Left Nut

Reviews & Awards

Winner: Summerhall Lustrum Award. Edinburgh Fringe 2018
Nominee: Bewley's Little Gem Award. Dublin Fringe 2017
Selected: The Guardian, one of the best shows at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018
"Capturing the bluster and terror of life as a teenage boy, and boasting a fantastically expressive performance by Patrick, My Left Nut is an astute look at measuring up to ideas of masculinity"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★  Voice Mag UK
"An uproarious show... a riveting performance... a must watch"
★ ★ ★ ★  The Irish Sunday Times
"laughing one minute, crying the next... a terrific performance of a touching story"
★ ★ ★ ★  The Stage
"so much energy in the writing it’s almost exhausting. Patrick’s startlingly physical performance reflects this frenzy of adolescence"
★ ★ ★ ★  Broadway Baby
"An undoubted and wonderfully entertaining tour de force that deserves to be seen sooner rather than later."
★ ★ ★ ★  Fest Magazine
"buckets of humour and poignancy... an excellent show about growing up and learning to look after yourself in spite of stigma."
★ ★ ★ ★  The Irish Times
"Intimacy Through Comedy"
★ ★ ★ ★  The Reviews Hub
"My Left Nut is what fringe theatre is all about; it’s an hour of fresh, pure entertainment that shouldn’t be missed."
★ ★ ★ ★  Musical Theatre Musings
" brilliantly written... you're laughing along with Michael one moment and the next he comes out with something so poignant it stops you in your tracks."
★ ★ ★ ★ TN2
"heart-warming and charming, a documentation of the struggle to find one’s true self in the face of personal trauma"
★ ★ ★ ★ Broadway World Scotland
”My Left Nut is storytelling at its finest.”
★ ★ ★ ★ North West End UK
”beautifully constructed and life affirming… fresh, funky and very entertaining”
★ ★ ★ ★ Fringe Biscuit
”a darkly comic and poignant exploration of life, loss & coming of age in 90s Belfast”
Sunday Independent
"a wide-eyed, glorious, moving tale of a "little man" becoming a man... Michael Patrick plays the one-man piece with a combination of earnestness, verve and endearingly overwhelming charm"
Monthly Entertainment Guide
"by far, the funniest and most heart-breaking piece of work I have seen at The Dublin Fringe... A fantastically innovative piece of work which expertly combines comedy and tragedy"
No More Workhorse
"a substantial piece of theatre. It highlights a mature relationship between a mother and son with an immense sense of respect and love... While exceedingly funny, it is also serious. Go and see it"
The Red Curtain Review
"brilliant, entertaining, funny, thoughtful and touching... a wonderful theatrical work in all senses"
Theatre NI Young Critic
"filled with energy and gut-busting comedy... It was to no surprise when Patrick delivered the closing line and the stage faded to black, a standing ovation was immediately seen."

How it came about

In early 2017 Michael and Oisín sat down to discuss applying for "Show in a Bag". Michael had so many brilliant ideas for a one man show, but Oisín promptly told him they were all terrible and they gave up. After a few pints Michael began regailing Oisín with stories of his childhood, and the time he developed a giant swelling on his testicle and all the ridiculous and crazy stories which happened because of it. Oisín turned to Michael and said "tell that story".

So they did.

It was only in writing the play that they realised it wasn't really a silly comedy about giant balls. It's really about Michael coming to terms with his fathers death, realising the strength his mother had in raising four children on her own, and figuring out what it means to be a man.

With the help of Mentor Director Emma Jordan and Dramaturg Gavin Kostick they have created a hilarious, heartwarming and poignant play, which has as much to say about motherhood as it does masculinity.


Interviews and Articles