Lórcan Strain is an actor, drag artist and writer from Co. Donegal, currently based in London. They graduated with a BA Hons in Performing Arts from IT Sligo and are also a graduate of ‘Acting for Screen’ at Bow Street Academy, Dublin.
Most recently Lórcan played Snowball and Benjamin in Louise White’s critically acclaimed Animals as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. Lórcan was nominated for best performer at the Dublin Fringe for two shows The Wind that Shakes the Wig and Oliver Cromwell Is Really Very Sorry (best ensemble award), which also saw them at the Irish Times Theatre Awards. They played the role of Ned and understudied Gar Public in Pat Talbot Productions Philadelphia, Here I Come in the Cork Opera House.
In drag they made it to the semi-finals of NADC at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern and have toured Ireland and the UK, performing in clubs, theatres and festivals with their act. They have produced, written and performed their own show Songs of Theys and host a bimonthly show GAYLÍ in The Glory, London.
During lockdown they were awarded the ‘Let’s Make Some Noise’ theatre bursary from An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, to make a show about growing up queer in the countryside. They also worked for the Abbey Theatre in an R&D for Àine O’Hara’s new work An Taoiseach.
Pre-pandemic they were a cast member in Game Theory’s Moop, which was nominated for best ensemble at the Dublin Fringe. They appeared as Tommy/Sickboy in Verdant and Reality Check Productions’ critically acclaimed Trainspotting (The Olympia Theatre) and William in Punk Rock (The Granary Theatre, Cork). Lórcan has toured Ireland and the UK with Super Paua’s pioneering, multi-award-winning Aunty Ben, which was Ireland’s first LGBT play for young audiences.
Other theatre credits include Chucky in Teri Fitzgerald’s Sweet Sensations (Dublin Fringe / Spirit of Wit nomination), Jon in The Other Side (Smock Alley Theatre), Ensemble in How to Be Angry (Dublin Fringe / best ensemble nomination). Lórcan’s screen credits include RTÉ JR’s Dig in Diner and Game of Thrones. They also feature in TENI’s #CALLITOUT campaign as well as Shy Mascot’s music video 4 Lights.