A special double bill featuring Mikyla Jane Durkan and Lee Clotworthy. on November 16th to 18th, 2023, at The Hope Street Theatre. They are proud to present a special double bill Starting with Mikyla’s “Dirty Old Town,” prepare for a dark comedy journey with Marigold Lately. This one-woman show promises twists, laughs, and moments of heartfelt reflection. Mikyla’s portrayal of Marigold has left audiences in stitches at popular comedy spots like The Hot Water Comedy Club and A Lovely Word.

Next up is Lee Clotworthy’s “Out The Woodwork.” This Scouse farce introduces us to Pat, a recent divorcee who stumbles upon a life-altering £30 million lottery win during a casual night in with friends. As the news spreads, Pat’s world takes a whirlwind turn.

We spoke to Mikyla Jane Durkan about her show ‘Dirty Old Town’ and Lee Clotworthy about ‘Out The Woodwork’ to find out the inspiration behind the two plays and what we can expect from them.

Starting with Mikyla, her one woman show, Dirty Old Town, where we are introduced to Marigold Lately in a show of despair, disappointment and dismemberment. 

So where did the inspiration behind the dark, absurd world of Dirty Old Town come from? Mikyla said:

“Dirty Old Town is not a place but where Marigold has visited and witnessed on her travels.” She continues: “Marigold is my inner creative tapeworm lured out by the bright lights of performing.”  “She has very definite views on the world around her and whilst she doesn't represent anyone,  she has empathy for those who are disregarded and often judged by society.”

The audience can expect twists, turns and the unexpected and also to laugh, cry and be challenged as their mood changes whilst watching Marigold navigate her way through ‘Dirty Old Town.’ Having performed at various venues, most recently off a run of spoken word and comedy shows, what is the most rewarding park about connecting with live audiences? She shared:

“It’s got to be that moment of feeling the emotions and mood changes in the room.  “The response from the audience and when they connect with you, there honestly isn't anything better!”

Next is Lee Clotworthy’s ‘Out The Woodwork’ where we meet Pat. Recently divorced, and £30,000,000 richer following a win on the lottery on a girls night in with her friends, the only problem being that the news has spread and her life is about to completely change!  The idea for his play came from a place you might not expect. 

Lee spoke about the idea of the unknowns in life, specifically ‘The Red Brick Road’ and how we as viewers never find out where exactly it leads to, only the yellow brick road.. The protagonist Pat’s friend Lins is always pushing her to follow the yellow brick road and take the road that leads you home, but what home isn’t always the safe haven we think it to be. He said:

“My first thought was: What if ‘home’ is toxic, what if there isn’t a ‘home’ and just a place you exist? And is the ‘red brick road’ the answer?  His second thought was that of winning a big lottery prize, having a small piece of paper worth £30 million pounds, and wondering wether friends and family would still treat you the same.  He continued: “ Of course they wouldn’t!” A distant relative of mine won a big lottery win when I was young and I was seriously tempted to message him out of the blue and I’m so happy I didn’t!”

Lee’s previous work ‘National Killing Day’ received acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe, so his does ‘Out The Woodwork’ compare in terms of style and tone and can we expect any aspects of Scouse humour? He explained:

“ National Killing Day was more of satirical dystopian nightmare set over the course of a day, a ‘road trip’ play set across the breadth of the UK.  “Out The Woodwork is based in ‘real time’ and tackles family dynamics with Scouse friends and family based in a living room in Huyton, a heightened ‘kitchen sink’ drama so to speak.” “Other than the satirical aspect, the tone and style are pretty similar as they are both based on a protagonist who has to deal with change, and quickly.  “But Scouse wit is embedded in me and has unfortunately sometimes got me into trouble elsewhere. I think the best humour comes from characters and characters are formed from circumstances.” 

This special double bill of one comedy plays will take place across 3 nights in November from Thursday 16th November to Saturday 18th November.

Mikyla’s portrayal promises laughter, tears, and heartfelt moments. Her connection with live audiences brings a unique energy to the stage, making this show a must-see. With Lee’s previous success at Edinburgh Fringe sets high expectations for “Out The Woodwork.” This time, we dive into real-time family dynamics, rooted in Scouse humor.

This is set to be a great night of theatre. We will see you there! Tickets are just £13.50, and £11.50 for concessions and are available at

Written by, Megan McDonald