A rockstar turned guru and a blue shark are just two of the surreal characters awaiting audiences in A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy, a new co-production between award-winning company Access All Areas and The Lowry.
A darkly comic new play by Cian Binchy, A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy explores masking autism, mental health and fantasy as renowned autistic artist Binchy, best known as Tate Le Saux in ITV crime drama The Level, leads audiences through the many worlds of his imagination. The production explores the question that, if the person we show the world is just a mask, what’s really underneath, an authentic self or just a series of stories we tell to protect ourselves?
Created by and starring Binchy as Alfie Murphy, in collaboration with Shaun Dunne and Leah Moore and directed by Nick Llewellyn, A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy comes to The Lowry, Salford, on Friday 11, 8pm, and Saturday 12 October, 2.30pm and 8pm.
Binchy says, “It’s important to see neurodivergent art made by neurodivergent people as it’s not seen enough. A lot of autistic people struggle with identity and masking and it’s important to understand that autistic people can be wearing a mask to fit in with society and might be afraid about showing their true selves. I think it’s good for people to understand how fantasy works in autistic minds and how we shut off the world, and also try to connect with different people using fantasy.”
This play is the first in a series of three new co-productions presented by Access All Areas and The Lowry, aimed at bringing thought-provoking and high quality drama from learning disabled and autistic creatives to the mainstream audiences.
Q&A WITH CIAN BINCHY
How did you get into theatre? “I’ve always really enjoyed performing and felt I have a lot to offer the arts industry. I got into theatre through Access All Areas, which I have now been a part of since 2014.”
What was your inspiration for A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy? “I’ve been working on this show since 2018, it started off about a yoga teacher who had a hot temper, but in the process of writing the character evolved into somebody who has anger issues but pretends to be all ‘calm, peace and love’, which kind of coincided with the theme of fantasy. Society is full of contradictions about what is real and what is not. We say, ‘That’s life…’ and ‘That’s the reality…’ but how real is the real world? How can we tell what’s real and what’s not? I wanted to make this show because I have learned so many things over the years, I wanted to share that insight with people – the main thing I’ve learned is, no matter where you go, you’ll always be you. You can never escape yourself.’
Who is Alfie Murphy? “Alfie is a musician, not the lead singer, but the main songwriter in a band, who feels like the lead singer gets all the glory and is trying to steal his limelight. He is a man looking for something missing in his life, he just can’t work out what it is. As a character, he is loosely based on me but also inspired by the environment I live in and the people around me.”
How did ‘the shark’ become part of the story? “Sharks play a very, very important part in the show. Sharks symbolise the people who are out to trap you in life and stop your game, stopping your fantasy and leaving you trapped in the corner, told not to move… It’s like if you’ve ever been naughty in school and the teacher has said: ‘Go stand in the corner.’ That’s when they stop your game, and leave you feeling like you are stuck in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks – well, that’s how I feel, personally and A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy is a story very personal to myself.”
This play explores ‘autism’ and ‘fantasy’. Can you expand on the notion of fantasy and how it relates to autism? “Fantasy is something that, as somebody with autism, I’ve always been fascinated by; like when I was young, I would always want to play a game in which I pretended I was a character from TV, instead of being in real life. The show explores the dynamic between fantasy and reality, and may, at points, leave audiences wondering which is Alfie Murphy and which is Cian Binchy. The piece considers how fantasy isn’t necessarily a bad thing and can be a good thing, but you can’t have fantasy without reality. There’s no fiction without fact, it’s always about how to put the facts into fiction rather than just plain pretending, even fairy tales have a kernel of truth.”
Why is it important that neurodivergent people experience art made by neurodivergent artists? “It’s important as it allows neurodivergent people to realise that they can also be performers, that it can be done. We can speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves by making art to which they can relate.”
Is it also important to you that neurotypical people also experience neurodivergent art, and if so why? “It’s important for us not to be in a bubble of ‘disabled productions for disabled audiences’, it’s essential that we also tackle ableism with our art, which is why that’s why this production is for everyone.”
You are known for the use of comedy in your work, how important is humour in your pieces? “The points I make in my work can be heavy and deep so I use comedy to help get my ideas across. Comedy is striking, it gets people thinking, ‘Why am I laughing?’ It also gets people to look inwards at themselves. The show is satirical and the comedy shows the ridiculousness of society. Not everyone will get my art, but I hope some people will. I encourage people to try it out.”
What do you hope will be the result of working with The Lowry on this project? “It’s my third time performing at the Lowry. We have a great relationship and I love going to places where I can meet new audiences, especially outside of London.”
Tell me about the team you have around you for this production, Nick Llewellyn, Anna Constable and your co-creators Shaun Dunne and Leah Moore? “Everyone brought their own creativity to my original idea. It feels exciting getting these brilliant people in the room to write and workshop, a real buzz.”
How did you all meet and what attracted you to working with them? “Shaun Dunne worked with Access All Areas on a show called The Interrogation, in 2021, and we got on really well. He has a great ability to run with the ideas of the artists. Actor Anna Constable and I worked on a show earlier last year and we worked really well together so I thought she would be a good fit for this show. Leah Moore came aboard for this show to write with Shaun, she supported us a lot in rehearsals, working on the script. Nick Llewellyn and I go way back; we’ve known each other for 11 years now and he has long been a champion of my work”.
What are the aims and objectives of Access All Areas? “AAA aims to get learning disabled artists’ voices heard and work developed. We train artists to get into the professional world of performing arts and work at many levels to challenge exclusion; we engage with communities, train artists of the future and work closely with TV, film, and theatre companies to make their work and workplaces more accessible. If you are curious about what we do, visit our website, follow our socials, for which I create content, or simply reach out here. We’re great!”
A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy, The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, Friday 11, 8pm and Saturday 12 October, 2.30pm and 8pm. Tickets from £12 here.
Commissioned by Access All Areas Theatre Company
