New play at Roscommon Arts Centre on parenthood and autism

Two & One Productions presents ‘The Flowers of May’, a bold and deeply moving theatrical experience, at Roscommon Arts Centre for one night only on Friday, November 21st at 8 p.m..

Written by Matthew McMahon and starring himself and Eileen Gomez, this compelling two-hander is inspired by the real-life experiences of the performers—both of whom are parents to children on the autism spectrum.

‘The Flowers of May’ is a tender, unflinching, and often darkly funny exploration of what happens to a relationship, a family, and a personal identity when the world shifts overnight.

Through interwoven monologues and shared scenes, audiences are invited into the private moments, raw conversations, and silent reckonings of two parents navigating the highs and lows of raising a neurodivergent child.

At its core, this is a play about love. Love redefined. Love stretched. Love rediscovered in the small victories and ordinary acts of care.

“Autism changed the way I see the world. It made me a different father and a different actor,” says McMahon. “We wanted to capture that journey honestly—without sentimentality, but with a lot of heart. This piece speaks to the things parents think but rarely say out loud. The guilt. The exhaustion. The fierce protectiveness. And the beauty that emerges when you begin to see your child—and yourself—through a new lens.” 

Directed with sensitivity and simplicity by Emma Saunders, ‘The Flowers of May’ strips theatre back to its most essential form - storytelling. With minimal staging and maximum emotional resonance, the production puts the focus where it belongs—on the words, the performances, and the deeply human connection at its heart.