I sat down with Mark McAuley to find out more about Diary of a Mad Man coming to the Old Red Lion Theatre this November.

Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?

Diary of a Mad Man is a darkly comic, contemporary Irish reimagining of Gogol’s classic. A lonely office worker wakes up in a psychiatric hospital and tells us (the audience) how he ended up there. But is he telling the truth, or inventing the whole story as a way of coping with what’s happening to him? Audience feedback at Edinburgh Fringe was amazing,

They described it as “intense”, “intimate”, “chaotic”, “gripping”, “thought-provoking” wonderfully offbeat”, “a mesmerising journey to the Dark Side of the Moon”. It is an intense physical one-man show, full of humour and drama, combined with haunting sound and powerful lighting.

What drew you to this specific story?

My first acting coach, Tim McDonnell at the Focus Theatre (Stanislavski Studio) in Dublin, had a huge influence on my development as an actor.

He performed the original version of this play in 1989 and won an Obie Award for it. In many ways this production is a tribute to him and everything he gave me as a mentor and teacher.

I was also amazed when I read the original how relevant the story still feels today, more than 191 years later. Human nature hasn’t really changed. We still have the same fears, ambitions and insecurities, and we continue to make the same mistakes. Humans still be humans.

We’ve used Gogol’s brilliant original story as a springboard.

What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?

Probably the sheer physical and mental demands of it. It’s just me on stage for 60 minutes, and it’s a very physical, high-energy performance. I’m constantly switching between characters, often having conversations or arguments with myself, which requires a huge amount of focus and energy.

But that’s also what I love about it. It’s a real challenge as an actor, both physically and emotionally. The combination of video, sound, lighting and performance elements also takes a lot of work. Especially the timing. But it adds so much to the show and was a real highlight for audiences in Edinburgh.

How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?

The set is very simple, just a chair. But through dynamic lighting, sound and video projection, we create an entire world around the character.

As his mental state deteriorates, the boundaries between reality and what’s happening inside his head begin to blur. And the lighting and design reflect this.

We play with video projection where we see the life he is trying to portray via social media. Yet, we can clearly see the reality of his situation on stage. Which is far from good. It creates a beautiful yet stark contrast. Reflective of the world we want people to see versus reality. At the end of the day, it’s one actor on stage telling a story to the audience.

If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?

Gripping, funny, heartbreaking.

Diary of a Mad Man runs at the Old Red Lion Theatre, London, on 24 – 28 November. Tickets available at https://weareoldred.co.uk/whats-on/diary-of-a-mad-man/