I’ve finally uploaded my debut radio play, ‘Cow’ to YouTube. I’d love you to have a listen…
Storyline: Agi Kovacs, a beautiful Hungarian woman, arrives on Clearys’ farm, Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, to work as a mushroom picker. The Clearys’ already strained, childless marriage appears under further threat by her presence, however an unlikely friendship develops between Marie Cleary and Agi, leading both women to a new world view.
I wrote and produced the play which was directed by Jim Nolan and featured Michael Power (Game of Thrones), Madeleine Brolly and Geraldine Crowley,
‘Cow’ was made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) for broadcast on KCLR 96fm in April 2013.
From Ireland, Sue Healy is Literary Manager at the Finborough Theatre, London, a full-time Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Lincoln. Her book on theatre literary management is published by Routledge, December 2022.
Sue is an award-winning writer for stage, TV, and prose writer.
TV
Her current project, a 6x60minute TV series, is under option. She is under commission with Lone Wolf Media, producers behind PBS’ “Mercy Street”, to co-write the pilot and treatment for a six-part TV series.
Stage
Her most recent stage-play, Imaginationship (2018), enjoyed a sold out, extended run at the Finborough and later showed at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. Her previous stage productions include Cow (Etcetera Theatre, 2017) and Brazen (King’s Head Theatre, 2016), funded by Arts Council England. Sue’s short plays have been performed at the Criterion (Criterion New Writing Showcase), Arcola (The Miniaturists) and Hackney Attic (Fizzy Sherbet Shorts).
Radio
Her radio work includes nine plays broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (Opening Lines winner), WLRfm and KCLR96fm.
Prose
Sue has won The Molly Keane Award, HISSAC Prize, Escalator Award, Meridian Prize and has been published in nine literary journals and anthologies including: The Moth, Flight, Tainted Innocence, New Writer, Duality, HISSAC, New European Writers. She has been writer-in-residence on Inis Oírr, Aran Islands, and at the Heinrich Boll Cottage on Achill Island. She has also benefitted from annual artist residencies at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, and at Ginestrelle, Assisi in Italy.
An academic with a PhD in modern theatre history, specifically the Royal Court Theatre, Sue has presented her research internationally. She spent eleven years in Budapest, editing Hungary A.M. She has a PhD in modern theatre history (Royal Court Theatre) and is a UEA Creative Writing MA alumnus.
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Oh, how wonderful! I missed it on Easter Monday, so am glad to finally hear. I begin teaching a course in Irish Lit at end of January. Would you mind if I included it in our “readings”? (I’m in the States.)
Sue, thank you for this. I’m at work just re-sizing images listening to Cow, and when Aggie is talking to the cow, I just had this moment of sadness but Happy too. This was just so good. I need to work more on writing meaningful and human interactions and this gave me more motivation to write.
I listened to this in two halves (which is not ideal). I love the Irish voices and the setting. It was heartwarming to have a story about decent people making a decent fist of what life throws at them. I am a little tired of the dark and grisly characterisations of so much recent literature, but – just to be really picky – perhaps the story could have been a little less nice?
I’m just thinking through my keyboard here. Would it be helpful to offer Cow as a downloadable .mp3? (Soundcloud is one of many possible ways to do so for free.) Or is it already available in such a format?
I ask because I really like to listen to audio drama on my iPod, and offering your play this way could be one more step toward world domina–uhm, to get your work more widely appreciated.
What a wonderful story. LOVED listening to this just now, drinking coffee while propped up in bed under the covers on this lazy Sunday morning. Thanks for the adventure!
Hi Sue, First a belated St Patrick’s Day greeting to you. I loved the conclusion of “genius.” I wrote earlier saying I was teaching a course in Modern Irish Lit to 18-year old boys in America and would be using “Cow” as one of their “Texts.” We listened today and yesterday (which being the 25th and 26th of March were the actual days of the action.)
Anyway, their assignment for tonight is “If they could ask the playwright any question about the play, what would it be?” If I get some interesting questions, could I forward them to you?
suehealy 
December 5th, 2013 at 00:17
Love, love this story. Continued success. . . just saying
December 5th, 2013 at 07:44
Thank you, Claudia!
December 9th, 2013 at 15:02
Oh, how wonderful! I missed it on Easter Monday, so am glad to finally hear. I begin teaching a course in Irish Lit at end of January. Would you mind if I included it in our “readings”? (I’m in the States.)
December 9th, 2013 at 21:11
Please do, I would be honored. I’d love to hear how it goes down. Thanks. Sue.
December 10th, 2013 at 17:48
Sue, thank you for this. I’m at work just re-sizing images listening to Cow, and when Aggie is talking to the cow, I just had this moment of sadness but Happy too. This was just so good. I need to work more on writing meaningful and human interactions and this gave me more motivation to write.
December 10th, 2013 at 17:55
What a lovely comment to receive. Thank you!
December 10th, 2013 at 22:34
I listened to this in two halves (which is not ideal). I love the Irish voices and the setting. It was heartwarming to have a story about decent people making a decent fist of what life throws at them. I am a little tired of the dark and grisly characterisations of so much recent literature, but – just to be really picky – perhaps the story could have been a little less nice?
December 10th, 2013 at 22:46
Hi Hilary, thanks for your comments!
December 12th, 2013 at 23:25
Hi Sue,
I’m just thinking through my keyboard here. Would it be helpful to offer Cow as a downloadable .mp3? (Soundcloud is one of many possible ways to do so for free.) Or is it already available in such a format?
I ask because I really like to listen to audio drama on my iPod, and offering your play this way could be one more step toward world domina–uhm, to get your work more widely appreciated.
December 12th, 2013 at 23:40
I;m a bit of a novice when it comes to technological adventures, Tim. I will check out Soundcloud though. Many thanks for the advice!
February 23rd, 2014 at 18:39
What a wonderful story. LOVED listening to this just now, drinking coffee while propped up in bed under the covers on this lazy Sunday morning. Thanks for the adventure!
February 23rd, 2014 at 19:24
Thank you Sunflower!
March 26th, 2014 at 16:16
Hi Sue, First a belated St Patrick’s Day greeting to you. I loved the conclusion of “genius.” I wrote earlier saying I was teaching a course in Modern Irish Lit to 18-year old boys in America and would be using “Cow” as one of their “Texts.” We listened today and yesterday (which being the 25th and 26th of March were the actual days of the action.)
Anyway, their assignment for tonight is “If they could ask the playwright any question about the play, what would it be?” If I get some interesting questions, could I forward them to you?
Thanks,
John
johnbohannon@dublin.com
March 26th, 2014 at 16:26
I’d be honoured, John. I’m very pleased you (and they?) have taken an interest. Best, Sue.
November 25th, 2016 at 17:34
Lovely story. Very moving. Thoroughly enjoyed listening.