“Sometimes care never fades, instead it lingers, messy and unresolved, impossible to fully put down.”
Word travels fast in the small Irish town of Kilbeggan. So when James Whelan (Fiach Kunz) gets the call that could change his life – a big job in Dublin – it’s not long before the whole town is talking, writes Frankie Jenner.
But leaving is never as simple as packing a bag. Before he gets on the bus to the fair city, he wants to secure a promise from his sweetheart, Nan Bowers (Clíona Flynn); that she won’t take up with anyone whilst he’s away. But Nan has plans of her own. She’s fed up with feeling like an old cap that gets thrown to the corner of the room and rejects his proposal to wait around until he returns. As far as Nan is concerned, it’s not a great loss. Besides, she’s already got her eyes set on the next best thing – Jack McClinsey (Benjamin Reilly). He’s every bit as taken with Nan’s winsome looks, and besides, “I like Jack better,” she tells Whelan.
When Whelan returns home seven years later, much has changed for the small-town boy. Flush with success from his job in the city, he’s swapped the grandad collar shirt for a sharp suit and the tousled hair for a slick, gelled comb-over. We meet him in his office, where he’s busy preparing for the inaugural Silver Wings bus service. Apollo Moran (David Rawle) is run off his feet, welcoming an endless slew of visitors – job-seekers, flirtation-chasers and none other than… Nan Bowers.
“Hello, Mr Whelan,” she utters. Time has been a cruel mistress to Nan; a widow now and with a four-year-old to feed, she’s desperate for work. “I can scrub the floors, Mr Whelan.” But how will James Whelan receive the woman that broke his heart all those years ago?
Wife to James Whelan was written by Irish playwright Teresa Deevy in 1937. As a play that dares to champion the status quo, it was rejected by Ireland’s national theatre amid the growing conservative backlash of the 1940s. Now, nearly 80 years after its inception, Mint Theatre’s Jonathan Bank reintroduces this overlooked treasure to the West End.
Deevy’s script is sharp and interspersed with chirpy, quick-witted humour. David Rawle delivers a standout performance as Whelan’s right-hand man, Apollo, inhabiting the role so naturally and bringing a spark of joy to each scene they’re in. Molly Hanley gives the role of Nora just the right amount of heat – charming, suave, and a little bit dangerous.
Set across three acts, Wife to James Whelan delicately explores the emotional and psychological realities of relationships; that sometimes care never fades, instead it lingers, messy and unresolved, impossible to fully put down. It’s a joy to see Deevy’s script brought to life so well – a testament both to her skill as a writer and to a cast so fully attuned to the precision of her pen.
Wife to James Whelan is at Jermyn Street Theatre until 25 July, 2026.
Booking and full details: https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/wife-to-james-whelan/
