Rodney Quinn, ‘Two Plays of Milk & Alcohol’
Today we are very pleased to publish Two Plays of Milk & Alcohol, a new volume by Rodney Quinn, bringing together two sharply observed, deeply humane stage works: My Friend Al and Doug & Lillian.
These plays move in very different registers – one raw and confrontational, the other tender, humorous, and quietly unsettling – yet both are rooted in Rodney’s enduring concern with how ordinary lives are shaped by forces that operate just beneath the surface: addiction, companionship, secrecy, routine, loyalty and care.
Two plays, two worlds
My Friend Al is a searing exploration of alcohol as an invisible accomplice – ever-present, persuasive and rarely held to account. Writing about the origins of the play, Rodney has described how the idea emerged from lived observation:
“I used to think of alcohol as a kind of friend who eggs you on: the one whispering in your ear, telling you to be reckless… Yet that ‘friend’ is never charged as an accessory to the crime, even though it’s there in the background every time.”
Written while Rodney was living in Cork, and attempting to drink less in order to write more, the play fuses that metaphorical “friend” with a very real presence knocking at the door – resulting in a work of unsettling clarity and emotional force.
Director and actor Colin Patrick Kelleher recalls the impact the play had when staged at Cork Arts Theatre:
“Every single night, we played to a packed house – a testament to Rodney’s remarkable talent as a writer. The piece captures the raw truth of an alcoholic’s struggle with extraordinary honesty and power.”
By contrast, Doug & Lillian invites us into a meticulously observed 1970s suburban world, rich with neighbourly warmth, mild eccentricities and unspoken truths. On the surface, it is gentle and even cosy; underneath, it is a play about the courage required to live honestly, and the quiet costs of concealment.
Actor Carol Coyne, who played Lillian at South London Theatre, remembers the production as an immersion into a fully realised community:
“Together with my fellow cast members we immersed ourselves in Doug and Lillian’s world of caring (and nosy) neighbours… With humour, warmth, and a touch of tragedy, the play explores the complexities of love, friendship, and the courage it takes to be truly honest.”
Rodney Quinn: a life in theatre
Rodney Quinn has been deeply embedded in theatre-making for many years – not only as a playwright, but also as a stage manager, collaborator and presence within theatre communities in London and Ireland. Those who have worked with him often remark on the care, precision and generosity he brings to every aspect of the work.
As Carol Coyne recalls of his time at South London Theatre:
“His stage management work was a model of efficiency… and his writing for the stage revealed a remarkable sensitivity to the inner lives of his characters.”
That dual commitment – to craft, and to people – runs through all of Rodney’s writing. His characters are never treated as ideas or examples; they are always allowed their contradictions, their dignity, and their flaws.
In conversation with Two Plays of War & Peace
This new volume follows Two Plays of War & Peace, which we were proud to publish previously. Those earlier plays (Birds Still Fly and Over the Top) examined the lingering human consequences of conflict, memory and loss.
Two Plays of Milk & Alcohol turns the focus inward – from war zones to kitchens, bedsits, bars and neighbourhoods – but the ethical core remains the same. Across all four plays, Rodney asks how people endure, how they rationalise harm, and how small decisions ripple outward into lives changed forever.