A new play, Mammy’s House, will premiere at Upstairs at the Gatehouse this September, shining a light on the untold experiences of Irish LGBTQ+ people who left Ireland to build new lives in London during the 1980s AIDS crisis.
Running from 1 to 13 September 2026, the production is based on extensive research and conversations with members of London’s Irish LGBTQ+ community, exploring stories of resilience, humour and chosen families during a period marked by prejudice and loss.
Set in an ordinary London terrace house in Camden, the play follows an Irish LGBTQ+ household that has created a family of its own. As the AIDS epidemic takes hold and discrimination continues to shape daily life, the relationships within the household are tested in unexpected ways.
Created by Irish actor, producer and presenter Derek Murphy, Mammy’s House is written by Amy Clarke and directed by Brian Brady. Murphy also stars as Barry, known affectionately as “Mammy”, alongside Stephen Cheriton, Conor O’Dwyer, Jemma Curran, Justin Ensor and Ciara Pouncett.
The production was developed over two years with support from the Emigrant Support Programme through the Embassy of Ireland in Great Britain, The Irish Cultural Centre and the Meitheal Muintire Irish End-of-Life Care Project, in association with Innisfree Housing.
Working closely with members of London’s Irish LGBTQ+ community, the creative team drew on lived experiences to ensure the play authentically reflects the period. Contributors included activist and priest Bernárd Lynch and historian Dr Joseph Healy, founder of the London Irish LGBT Network.
Performer and producer Derek Murphy said: “We want to create a space where the Irish diaspora and the LGBTQ+ community can see their shared history reflected with dignity, humour, and truth. We wish to establish this story in the theatrical canon so that these vital voices are never deemed “disposable” ever again”.
Writer Amy Clarke commented: “We saw a gap in our history, a ‘double exile’ of being queer and Irish in a city that wasn’t always welcoming to its Irish residents. We aren’t just devising a play; we’re documenting a community that was almost lost to silence.”
The production will run at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate Village, from 1 to 13 September 2026. The show has a running time of approximately two hours, including an interval, and contains references to HIV/AIDS and homophobia.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
