Joey O’Callaghan was so shaken by stage portrayal of his life he had to leave

Joey O’Callaghan had to step away after watching actor Rex Ryan bring his life story to the stage, according to the report. The former state witness attended a 70-minute theatrical adaptation of The Witness, the bestselling book by journalist Nicola Tallant, and reportedly became physically sick during the performance. Ryan took on the role of O’Callaghan in the production and lost weight for the part, the article says. The play presents the story of the man described as Ireland’s youngest state witness, turning a life shaped by crime and the justice system into a live performance. O’Callaghan’s reaction offers a striking glimpse of how confronting it can be to see personal experiences reconstructed in front of an audience. The account does not say what part of the show prompted him to leave, or whether he later returned to watch the remainder. The item also includes unrelated programme previews about prison security, court appeals, historical investigations and criminal cases. Those subjects are separate from the central report about O’Callaghan and his response to Ryan’s performance.