The creators of a new Belfast-set comedy drama, which deals with the realities of dealing with testicular cancer at a young age, have spoken to Belfast Live about how this unique show came about.
My Left Nut , which was written by Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney is set to land on BBC iPlayer on Sunday, March 1.
The series follows school-boy Mick (played by newcomer Nathan Quinn-O’Rawe) and his journey after discovering a swelling on his testicle.
He can’t tell his dad, who he died seven years ago. He can’t tell his mum Patricia (Sinéad Keenan), as she’s got a million other things on her plate. He can’t tell his schoolmates, because there’s an upside to rumours about the bulge in your trousers… And he's desperate not to complicate things with his girlfriend.
Originally staged as a one-man play, performed by Michael, the idea was developed further and attracted the attention of the BBC.
"This is based on the true story of my teenage years," says Michael. "It was originally a theatre piece that I acted in and Oisin directed.
"We'd known each other from university and he knew the whole story about the time I had a giant testicle. I was an out of work actor and thinking of ideas of things to write about. Oisin said, 'Maybe you should tell that story'."
While the idea of cancer doesn't normally lend itself to laughs, Michael and Oisin believed there was room to make a heart-warming comedy out of his lived experience.
"It's about testicles - it has to be funny!" Michael chuckles. "I wanted to write a story about school and about all the embarrassing things that happened to us all in school. We wrote it as a comedy that happened to have serious bits in it."
There's also an important message about health in the midst of the comedy, with Michael hoping that the show encourages men to open up about their ailments - even if they happen to be embarrassing.
"Whenever we did the stage play, the number of men that came up to me after each performance and wanted to chat to me in private to tell me that the same thing had happened to them but that they'd never told anyone. Friends of mine have discovered things and only thought to check after seeing the play. It's amazing. If it gets people talking about health in general, that's brilliant."
Asked about the whirlwind success of regional comedies in recent years, including the likes of The Young Offenders and Derry Girls, the creators are excited to see how audiences will response to their show.
"It's great to see so much content being made from right across the UK and Ireland," says Oisin. "We just hope that people like My Left Nut for what it is."
My Left Nut is made by BBC Three. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer from March 1.
