Roland has directed many freelance productions, covering many theatrical genres.

Thrillers

He directed two classic thrillers: ‘An Inspector Calls’ at The Key Peterborough with Jeremy Irons and ‘Gaslight’ at The Chester Gateway with Felicity Dean.

Musical Plays

At Liverpool Everyman, he directed a musical version of Shaw’s comedy ‘Androcles and the Lion’ with Bill Nighy and Julie Walters. He also explored music in drama with his production of a modern pantomime, ‘Cindy Ella’, at the Half Moon Theatre.

London

Because of his Irish theatrical background, Roland was asked to direct ‘Flashpoint’ by Tom Kempinski at the Young Vic, London, a powerful, controversial play about soldiers in Northern Ireland.

Touring

Always interested in travelling and reaching out to a wider British audience, Roland has directed two touring productions: the thoughtful and popular early 70s comedy about the pill - ‘It’s a Two-Foot-Six- Inches-Above-the-Ground World’ by Kevin Laffan and Steven Berkoff’s expressionistic ‘Greek’.

Fringe

Roland has never worked exclusively in mainstream theatre and has always shown a commitment to the fringe. His productions of ‘Police’ by Polish writer Slawomir Mrozek a hilarious satire on the abuse of political power and ‘Orison’ by the Spaniard, Fernando Arrabal, about the death of a child, underlined his interest in the continental avant-garde. His production of ‘Calley and Manson’, concerning the two biggest murderers of the day, showed his desire to tackle controversial subjects head on.

Children's Theatre

He has also worked in children’s theatre having directed two plays, ‘Playhouse’ and ‘Fishing for Pigs’ for Oily Carte, the distinguished children’s theatre company.

70's Irish Theatre

His Dublin production of the comedy ‘It’s a Two-Foot-Six-Inches-Above-the-Ground World’, whose cast included Frank Kelly of ‘Father Ted’ fame, ran for over a year. He went on to direct two comedies by Joe Orton: ‘Loot’ and ‘What The Butler Saw’ which combined comic style with substance. These plays challenged audiences at that time with their anarchic vision and Donal McCann gave a memorable performance as Inspector Truscott in ‘Loot’. He also directed an Anglo-Irish house comedy, ‘Ah Well It Wont Be Long Now!’ with Milo O’Shea and Zoe Wanamaker. It played to full houses at the Dublin Theatre Festival.

Lyric Theatre Belfast

Roland has always had a close relationship with the Lyric Theatre Belfast. Liam Neeson played one of his first leading roles in his Lyric Theatre production of Frank Dunne’s ‘The Rise and Fall Of Barney Kerrigan’ and the distinguished Scottish actor, Ken Stott, appeared in another new play - his production of Dominic Behan’s 'Europé'. He also directed the theatre’s revival of Arthur Miller’s play about conscience - ‘All My Sons’. In 2000, he returned to the Lyric to direct ‘The Butterfly of Killbegs’, Brian Foster’s new comedy set in 60s Donegal, about a young woman whose development is stifled by her widowed mother.

Opera House Belfast

In 2007, he directed ‘New York State of Mind’ by Sam McCready at The Opera House Belfast, a play centring around an ambitious Irish actor in the States and the price he pays for leaving his family behind in Belfast.