15-05-2025
Brian Kennedy to play Oscar Wilde in Phil Lynott stage musical
Belfast singer Brian Kennedy says he is "beyond thrilled" to be joining rock-theatre show Moonlight: The Philip Lynott Enigma to play the role of Irish wit and playwright Oscar Wilde.
The production, which opened in Dublin's Vicar Street in April, tells the story of the late Thin Lizzy front man and is set to return to Vicar Steet on 20 and 21 and has also announced a show in UCH Limerick on 24 June.
Dublin actor Peter M. Smith plays Lynott in Moonlight, which charts the early life of Lynott, portraying him not just as a rock legend but as a literary figure worthy of standing alongside Wilde and Brendan Behan, both of whom make ghostly appearances in the musical.
The show blends live music, including Thin Lizzy classics and original compositions, with theatrical storytelling to explore Lynott's formative years in Dublin and London during the late 1960s and early '70s.
Speaking about playing Wilde in the show, Kennedy, whose songs include Captured and You Raise Me Up, says: "I'm beyond thrilled to be part of Moonlight and of course to bring something new to the legend of Oscar! I feel like I have finally met Phil Lynott and Brendan Behan."