Mike Kelly: Playwright/Actor The Cable
Meet Mike Kelly – Writer and Performer of The Cable
Mike Kelly is a writer and actor, who wrote and performs in Siamsa Tíre’s production of his one-man play ’The Cable’. Mike is also a speech and presentation skills coach and mentor with Speak The Speech, and doting father.
Mike’s parents were born in Ballinskelligs, South Kerry, and while he was born in London, he spent many summers in the region near Valentia Island which is where the story of The Cable takes place.
As he had been hearing about the cable for many years, around 2020, he started looking into the cable and in particular, the human element of it.
“ I began to imagine this incredible time in Irish history through the eyes of a local family on Valentia Island and the differing emotions they may have experienced having waved goodbye to their own daughter six months prior to the beginning of our story.”
Mike used a lot of his own personal background in it too – in relation to bereavement and loss.
“The heartache of the goodbye, loss, love and a desperate hope to use this incredible cable which is about to be launched from their doorstep off the southwest coast of Kerry.”
“This production is about more than a piece of history, It’s about the way we reach for each other across distances, how technology transforms us, and the enduring ties of family and love.”
Beyond “The Cable,” Mike Kelly is an accomplished actor with credits in film and television, including Ridley Scott’s “The Martian”.
The Cable
The Transatlantic Cable, which ran from Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland, spanned over 3,000 kilometres beneath the Atlantic Ocean and revolutionised global communication by reducing message transmission across continents from weeks to mere minutes. As the world changed forever, so too did the lives of those at its edges — a truth brought vividly to life in this stirring production.
Don’t miss this unforgettable theatrical event where history, heart, and heritage meet on stage. The Cable promises to stir the soul and spark reflection — an extraordinary experience featuring live music, masterful storytelling, and a powerful message that resonates.
Tickets (€29 / €27.50) Early booking is strongly recommended.
Written and Performed by: Mike Kelly
Dramaturg and Director: Aidan Dooley
Music by: Dave McGilton
Lighting Design by: John Hurley
Graphics by: Aisling Carmody
Siamsa Tíre is proudly funded by The Arts Council of Ireland, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Kerry County Council and Kerry Group and supported by Orbitus.
For more information visit our Events Page
