Entertainment co-ordinator turned actress Lisa Regan talks to playwright turned 'sexpert' Kieran Duffy and sports commentator turned actor Ollie Turner ahead of their upcoming play 'Like a Virgin', which runs at the Town Hall Studio from Monday 23 June.

So, how did this play come about?

Lisa Regan, Kieran Duffy, Eve Bolster and Peadar DeBurca prepare to get intimate in the up coming play 'Like a Virgin', which will run at the Town Hall Studio from Monday 23 June until Saturday 28 June.

Kieran: Well I suppose it is the common bond that everyone shares with virginity. Everyone has it but not everyone is sure what to do with it; should one keep it, throw it away or lose it? There is a common misconception that teenagers and religious orders have a monopoly on virginity, which they really don't. Virginity is rarely talked about let alone discussed even with adults. There is no ring of pride around virginity, so really there is no platform for virgins to be discussed.

I have known Peadar since our days back in UCG. I was involved with the Literary and Debating society and Peadar was involved with the drama society. We were, I suppose, very much aware of each other's existence. I have always enjoyed writing privately, so Peadar asked me to write a monologue for this piece. I relished the challenge.

What do you think the audience will get from this play?

Kieran: It will give them food for thought! Everyone will get a few laughs from the piece and it will allow them to re-question their values. It provides satisfaction for the mind and the body. However sometimes satisfaction is not found in traditional values. Nowadays many couples are content, are at peace, but how many of them are happy? This I am not sure of.

How did you become involved in the project?

Ollie: I've got to know Peadar De Burca over the last couple of years and I have been really taken by his enthusiasm and his approach to theatre. We regularly bump into each other at the radio station when Peadar is in promoting some show or other of his, and he came to see me perform a couple of years ago in the Mall Theatre in Tuam when I was on stage with the Dunmore Drama Group. He had asked me to get involved last year in 'Jane's Hero', a play based on the recent conflict in Yugoslavia, but I couldn't give a commitment. He wasn't taking 'No' for an answer this time round however and when I read the script I knew I had to give it a lash!

The 'Like a Virgin' cast is a mixture of both seasoned actors and, well, 'acting' virgins; has this been an interesting mix to work with?

Ollie: I have to say it has been an absolute howl from the very outset. The script is brilliant, as it allows each of the nine individuals in the cast portray their own skills, but the camaraderie amongst a bunch of total strangers has been unbelievable. There isn't a weak link in the group and I, for one, would struggle to distinguish between the seasoned actors and the so-called 'Virgins'!

You are well known locally for your sporting commentary; how do you think people will react to Ollie Turner the virgin?

Ollie: I think a lot of people are aware of the craic we have every morning on the 'Breakfast Show' on Galway Bay FM. I might be a sports presenter, but I love the added interaction with Gareth O'Callaghan in the mornings.