Dry Irish humour, raw emotion, a dysfunctional family – and whiskey. These are the ingredients in Fermanagh actor-writer Joyce Greenaway’s one-woman play, Whiskey Wars.
Bitten by the acting bug at the tender age of four, Joyce recalls her first time on stage. “I was about three or four when I was first on the stage in Dungannon doing a show with the Girls’ Brigade doing a play called The King Minds The Baby. I remember just wandering on stage and thinking how magical it was.”
Joyce continued to write, direct and produce theatre locally and perform with Belfast Operatic Society and Fortwilliam Musical Society, though chose a career in law.
However, after two decades as a lawyer, a tandem skydive made her “come alive” to the realisation that “life was passing her by” and gave her the impetus to pursue her childhood dream of drama college.
Joyce was offered a place after her first audition – at Drama Studio London, whose alumni include Forest Whitaker – giving up her partnership in a successful Belfast law firm.
“Obviously, it’s not as lucrative, but you normally regret the things you don’t do. It was scary and took courage, but there are times in your life when you have to jump and just trust,” says Joyce, who found her experience of being a lawyer useful in her new career.
“There is that public speaking element of using your voice. But you can see the big picture and the details – that’s what you also need in performing, writing and creating. Also, from a business point of view, it was useful for looking at contracts and trusting my intuition.”
She has gone on to work with Georgia Pritchett (Succession) and Alice Birch (Normal People) and theatre credits include Debbie Tucker Green’s Truth and Reconciliation at London’s Royal Court and Sandi Toksvig’s Treasure Island.
It was Tucker Green who, after discovering they shared the same creative process of “hearing voices as they write”, encouraged Joyce to start writing professionally.
Her 2019 short film George & the Dragon, starring Don Gilet (Death in Paradise), won best UK short film at the Oxford International Film Festival.
She also created a comedy web series, Chalk and Cheese, with Blue Lights actor and fellow Drama Studio London student Matthew Forsythe, about two Belfast cops.
“It still makes me giggle. We’re going to try and do something together this summer again,” adds Joyce, who hopes to continue being a writer-performer, and cites Sharon Horgan as her inspiration.
Gamers might recognize her Northern Irish accent in Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs: Legion.
“I voice the character Abrasive Genius, so you can play me as the main character. Then if you play somebody else, you’ll hear my voice in lots of different areas – as a cop, a thug or a protest marcher.”
“You can do anything with any story. I’ve got different TV pilots, films and plays on the go. You just keep exploring and building upon what you have learnt,” adds Joyce, not ruling out scriptwriting for games in the future.
When lockdown hit, Joyce admits she “wrote out of necessity”. “I always wanted to do a solo show. This was the perfect time to create a show for myself that I could take on tour.”
The show was Whiskey Wars – a richly comedic dysfunctional family saga about a mother’s fight to save her Irish distillery from ruin - and her first venue was none other than the Edinburgh Fringe, where she was “blown away” with the emotional response of the audience.
Last year she returned to the Fringe and earlier this year was chosen to represent Northern Ireland at the prestigious Bozar cultural centre in Brussels.
Joyce took her inspiration from hearing a tale about the Kavalan Taiwanese whiskey business.
“Whiskey is such a mercurial creative process. It’s mystical. I thought there must be stories behind other distilleries, many of whom are run by families. So I decided to write about one such dysfunctional family from Northern Ireland.
“I thought, if they come from a Christian background, such as Brethren, how does that work out? You’ve got the contradictory term of spirit and the Holy Spirit,” adds Joyce, whose late father was a Methodist minister.
With some real-life stories blended into her fictional writing, Whiskey Wars is set in the eight generation Kingdom of Mourne Distillery in Newcastle.
It tells the story of Tam Tully – a Brethren woman who is struggling with her life, her faith and her relationships - and is trying to save her family’s distillery by crafting the perfect single malt.
“I just tried to make it as difficult as possible for poor Tam. She’s a force of nature. I throw everything at her – tragedy and treachery, mix in politics, sex, religion, misogyny, injustice and wait for her to explode. It’s a very powerful, emotional, visceral piece. It is also funny,” adds Joyce, who did further research at Hinch Distillery in Ballynahinch, witnessing the whole whiskey making process.
It was scary and took courage, but there are times in your life when you have to jump and just trust
— Joyce Greenaway
Having already performed in Port of Leith Distillery in Scotland and Dublin Liberties Distillery, she is looking forward to bringing Tam Tully’s story to Belfast’s Titanic Distillers as part of the Eastside Arts Festival.
“The whole process of whiskey making is blended into the fabric show, so it’s great to get into a distillery again.”
While audiences will enjoy a complimentary Titanic cocktail on arrival, Joyce is looking forward to getting a little dram herself on stage.
“If I was doing a long run I wouldn’t, but if I’m doing one or two nights, yes I will. The texture and smell of the whiskey add to the authenticity.”
Whiskey Wars alludes to the social experiences faced by Irish women over generations who often are caused to burden the responsibility, carry the shame and “pick up the pieces”.
“At the core of Whiskey Wars is a human story, a family drama, that will resonate with audiences. Like so many women, Tam is the glue that holds her family together, but I wanted to see what would happen if she had enough of women’s mistreatment. She’s a privilege to play,” adds Joyce, who has no regrets about her midlife change of career.
“I’m doing what I was born to do. My life is very different, but I’m proud I made the jump and I’m able to give back to people. My job is to create work that connects with people – something that encourages them, distracts them, enlightens them, challenges them or changes them in some kind of way. That’s why the arts are so valuable.”
