Living With A Dark Lord

‘Living with a Dark Lord’ is a play written, produced and performed by Maeve, Cait and Aisling O’Sullivan - the three sisters of Shaun, who prefers to be known as ‘The Dark Lord’. It’s been this way for over 15 years when Shaun gave up speaking and put on a cloak, and while this has been the norm for them, Shaun’s way of life has fascinated psychiatrists, friends and family members (but not always in a good way.) 

Shaun has autism - a life-long neurological developmental disorder which becomes obvious at around three or four years old - and although the cause of autism is still a mystery, the impact it has on a person and their family is clear to see.

The play is set over the course of an evening, when three sisters come together on their brother’s 30th birthday. The sisters swap memories to fill in the gaps of their past and map out how they managed to soften his dark persona and all the times he added variety, hilarity and unexpected wisdom to their lives. As this turning point hits home, they worry about the future and whether darkness really is what the world has in store for their brother - a world only just beginning to make room for difference.

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