Childhood memories on Achill Island inspire as Mark Doherty brings brother’s book to stage

Mark Doherty adapts his brother’s book, The Summer I Robbed a Bank

The cast of The Summer I Robbed a Bank

A comedy caper adapted for the stage by actor and writer Mark Doherty, from his brother’s award-winning children’s book, has its roots in the playwright’s childhood holidays.

The book and the play, The Summer I Robbed a Bank, is set on Achill Island where Mark and his brother David O’Doherty (Mark, like his well known Jazz musician father Jim Doherty, dropped the ‘O’ in the surname) used to go on holidays with their family — including a sister— as youngsters.

Mark is seven years older than David, so the brothers were in separate gangs, but they dreamt up a scheme together which inspired the novel. Now, the play is to be staged at the Everyman on June 15-16 as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival.

“On Achill Island, there was a mobile bank which we thought was the oddest and funniest concept,” Doherty says.

“Sometimes, we’d go to sleep at night wondering how we could rob the bank and get it off the island.

“There’s a bridge, but there’s only one road and the police station is right there.”

The play, aimed at children aged seven and older, brings the book to life in what is described as a moving and hilarious drama.

12-year-old Rex (played by Fair City’s Stephen O’Leary) is spending the summer on Achill Island against his will. Little does he know that it will be the summer of his life.

His eccentric Uncle Derm hatches a hare-brained plan to carry out a robbery.

“An amalgamation of a few people that we know, the Uncle Derm character is not good on detail. The kids get a hold of his plan, and put manners on it to try to make sure it works.”

Doherty says that the play is not just a barrel of laughs.

It also deals with a marriage break-up and one of the characters is unwell.

“Those are concepts that you think younger kids mightn’t be able for, but we did readings for children and asked them afterwards if they found the material a bit sad or difficult. They were all grand with it.”

Mark Doherty, directing a summer spectacular at The Everyman, Cork

It’s important not to patronise children, says Doherty.

“All the classics we were brought up on, whether it was Bambi or The Jungle Book, something sad happened in them. That’s important for the play. I don’t think you can go to the end with only happy clappy stuff in it.

“For a story to be satisfactory, it’s good that there are some highs and lows on the journey. You can’t speak down to an audience. Children are so sharp and smart.”

Growing up in Sandymount, Dublin, Doherty says that it was normal to have the house full of musicians.

“There were always rehearsals happening or dad writing something.

“It was a little different than my contemporaries, whose parents had more of a nine-to-five lifestyle. They were available for parent/teacher meetings.”

Jim Doherty, aged 85, is still playing the piano. “My mum has always kept the whole thing together.

“We were encouraged in everything we did.”

Doherty has just finished working on a period drama, The Hardacres, for Channel 5. Adapted from the novel series by CL Skelton, it’s about fish merchants who make a lot of money and move into a grand house.

“I play the butler. Set in the north of England, it was filmed in Ireland and will be on later this year.”

Sustaining a career in the arts is always challenging. Doherty, 56, says it becomes more difficult as one ages.

“There’s that lack of security that is always there. I don’t think I’d have ever been considered for a loan from a bank, because I couldn’t tell them what I’ll be doing in November.”

Recently, Doherty and his family were evicted from their long-term rental house.

“As everybody knows, there’s very few places to rent. On top of that, when you say you’re self-employed, you really haven’t a hope when there are secure couples behind you able to pay six months rent upfront. We got a place eventually. We’re back in the centre of Dublin.”

Adapting his brother’s novel was very much a solitary job for Doherty.

“It was important to work on it on my own. David was generous in allowing me the freedom to do that.”