The Playboy Diaries: A Year with J.M. Synge's Play

By Éanna Hardwicke

A unique behind-the-scenes account from acclaimed Irish actor anna Hardwicke (Normal People; The Sixth Commandment; Saipan) as he stars in the National Theatre's 2025 revival of Synge's classic play.

From the call that he'd been cast in the title role of Christy Mahon in this major revival of Synge's 1907 play, actor anna Hardwicke takes us with him on his journey through the year as he gets to grips with this canonical play, 120 years after it was first performed.

His casting in this play and such a major revival causes him to reflect both into the past and the future - how his previous acting experience has led him to this point; the emotional, artistic and technical reserves he has stored up for the part; and the significance of playing this role, today, in London.

Working alongside an esteemed company of Irish actors and creatives, including Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) and Siobh n McSweeney (Derry Girls), on one of the UK's most prestigious stages, anna Hardwicke gives us insights into what it's like to live with a character, making new discoveries everyday (through his own research, within the rehearsal room and, of course, during the run itself) and how you inevitably bring your own experience and sense of self to the role.

As well as offering a rich excavation of Synge's play from an actor's point of view, we also are given an enviable view into the life of a celebrated young actor and the pressure and privilege of taking on a role as significant as this.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1350596043
• ISBN13: 9781350596047
• Release Date: April 2027
• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"