Richard Mylan, a Welsh actor, has opened up about his 20-year heroin addiction and the support he received to overcome it, while promoting his new play, Sorter.
In an interview with WalesOnline’s podcast, In The Spotlight, Mylan revealed that lockdown helped him to put together the play and address his addiction, which he describes as being “extremely cathartic”.
Sorter, which is the first original production from Mylan’s theatre company Grand Ambition, is set in Swansea and explores the issue of drug dependency.
Mylan’s decision to write the play was influenced by his desire to reconcile with his past and “document it in some way”. The play, which he co-created with Michelle McTernan, Steve Balsamo and Christian Patterson, is being shown at Swansea’s Grand Theatre.
Mylan believes that the subject matter is important, as heroin addiction is an issue in Swansea that the public are often unaware of.
Mylan first revealed his addiction to heroin in an interview with BBC News last year. He described the interview as “the scariest thing” he had ever done but said that it had an immediate positive impact on his mental health.
Mylan encourages others struggling with addiction to seek help, as he believes that “unconditional support” is key to overcoming addiction.
Mylan is best known for his role as Simon Lowsley in the BBC drama, Waterloo Road. He recently watched the revived version of the show and was impressed with how it handled the transition between the old school and the new school. Mylan’s wife, Tammie, was a make-up artist on Waterloo Road.
The couple have two children, including Jaco, who has a form of autism known as Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Mylan has explored his son’s condition in two award-winning documentaries for the BBC.
Sorter is currently playing at Swansea’s Grand Theatre until Friday, March 10.
»Welsh actor Richard Mylan opens up about his 20-year heroin addiction«
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