This is what I like

Those who know me know I’m a theatre fan addict. And as part of that I’d like to send you to the theatre tomorrow evening, 8pm, Wednesday 16 March, to see Lay Me Down Softly at the Project Arts Centre.

To get the tickets just comment below before 5pm tomorrow with your real name for the guest list. All tickets are +1. 

Here’s what the audiences have been saying:

and here’s some more about the play:

Step inside the boxing ring - smell it, sense it, feel it and somewhere between the fights and the fortune tellers, the bookies and the bloodshed rub shoulders with its wayward wards.

Set in rural Ireland in the early 60s Lay Me Down Softly is a dangerous story told with a darkly comic wit. A mythic tale of love, loss and pain that proves that life on the road is tough.

When young runaway Emer arrives in search of her long lost father and a challenge from a professional boxer is thrown in to the ring everything in this run down side show is about to change forever.

First seen in the Abbey Peacock Theatre in 2008 this brand new production of the stage play Lay Me Down Softly had a sell out successful run at the Wexford Art Centre during Wexford Opera Festival in October 2010 and this tour is kindly supported by Arts Council.

Mr. Roche is a gifted storyteller, … a writer often grouped with Conor McPherson and Martin McDonagh among Ireland’s top playwrights…The strength of Mr. Roche’s writing is in his poetic use of detail to evoke the joy of a bygone time and the disillusion that inevitably follows.

(New York Times)

“Of epic significance…” (The Irish Times)

Suitable ages 14+, contains strong language and some scenes of a violent nature

I should probably call it the “Award-winning” play, following the Irish Times Theatre Awards but delighted to be able to offer tickets to this Friday’s (March 4) performance.

HAMLET by William Shakespeare
presented by Second Age Theatre Company

DIRECTED by Aoife Spillane-Hinks
SET & COSTUME DESIGN by Alyson Cummins
LIGHTING DESIGN by Sarah Jane Shiels
SOUND DESIGN by Denis Clohessy

CAST: Conor Madden / Jane Brennan / Noelle Brown / Peter Daly / Mark Fitzgerald / David Heap / Darragh Kelly / Aonghus Óg McAnally / Frank McCusker / Anna Shiels McNamee / Fergal Titley 

HELIX, Dublin : Thurs February 24 – Fri April 8
EVERYMAN PALACE, Cork : Tues March 22 – Fri March 25
TOWNHALL THEATRE, Galway : Tues March 29 – Fri 1 April

Second Age Theatre Company brings you an exciting, dynamic and original production of HAMLET.

The play opens on a cold night in the Danish palace of Elsinore. The King of Denmark has been murdered by his brother Claudius, who not only takes his seat on the throne, but marries the newly widowed Queen, Gertrude.  

A grief stricken, and betrayed Prince Hamlet, determines to avenge his father’s death, but is consumed by a crippling inertia and agonises over his quest for revenge.

The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness, from overwhelming grief to seething rage, it explores the themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

This Second Age production promises to be an arresting and heady take on one of the greatest tragedies of all time.  Join us at the Danish Palace of Elsinore, for an evening of intrigue, treachery, and tragedy.

Directed by Aoife Spillane-Hinks, who is creating a quite a buzz on the theatre scene, this new production will create what Second Age do best: presenting classic works in a clear, fresh and faithful manner. Second Age always finds the perfect balance between presenting work that is faithful to the text, whilst remaining relevant and resonating with modern audiences.

Hailed as one of Shakespeare’s greatest works – the play is not about bad or evil people but about human beings living in an evil system and caught up with the trappings of luxury and power. It is the depth of characterisation that allows Hamlet to be revisited, reinterpreted and reinvented in seemingly infinite ways. 

As is characteristic of these Second Age productions, audiences can be sure they will be treated to a visual delight.  Designer, Alyson Cummins will be taking on both the Set and Costume design and her Danish palace of Elsinore promises to be an extravagant, expansive set, offering a myriad of staging possibilities and a few surprises.

Another name making waves in Irish theatre is actor CONOR MADDEN who will play the title role in this Shakespearean tragedy.  Conor’s distinct physical and impressive stage presence will bring an individuality and edge to the role. Conor may be known to many from his previous appearances on the hit TV shows RAW, THE CLINIC, and LOVE/HATE.

Joining Conor on stage is a stellar Irish Cast that includes some of Ireland’s most experienced talent such as Frank McCusker, Jane Brennan, Darragh Kelly, David Heap, Aonghus Óg McAnally, Peter Daly and Noelle Brown together with some fresh young talent such as Anna Shiels McNamee, Fergal Titley and Mark Fitzgerald.

There are more details on the Helix’s website.

To win tickets to Friday night’s performance of HAMLET at 8pm, March 4, at the Helix, Dublin, just stick a comment below. Winners will be picked on Thursday afternoon.

Thanks to Conleth and Second Age for the tickets and opportunity.

Delighted to further my relationship with Dublin’s Gate Theatre and to help promote Irish Theatre by offering this competition.

You could win one of two pairs of tickets to see God of Carnage, the new play in the Gate Theatre, either Monday or the uber fancy opening night next Tuesday, 8 February.

GOD OF CARNAGE

By Yasmina Reza; translated by Christopher Hampton

Two sets of parents meet to resolve a conflict that began between their children on a playground, when one child hit another knocking his teeth out with a stick.

What was supposed to be a civilised meeting turns into a barrage of name calling, tantrums and tears. A comedy of manners…without the manners.

This is a hysterical comedy when the gloves come off, dirty laundry is aired and the grownups find themselves in their own playground.

With Donna Dent • Ardal O’Hanlon • Owen Roe • Maura Tierney

You can buy tickets here. 

God of Carnage is 90 minutes with no interval and starts at 7.30pm. 

Tickets costs: Mondays and matinees are €25, Tuesday to Thursday €32 and Friday and Saturday are €35. Students can get €15 tickets Monday to Thursday.

I have two pairs of tickets to give away - one for Monday and one for the gala opening on Tuesday night -

• 1 pair of tickets for Monday 7^th (normal ticket price €25)
• 1 pair of tickets for Tuesday 8^th (normal ticket price €32)

Just post below with which night you’d prefer tickets for and I’ll pick the winners Monday lunchtime.

Big thanks to Jennifer in the Gate Theatre for this. Find them on Facebook here, on Twitter here and the website’s at http://www.gatetheatre.ie.

Don’t they all look great? That’s Fiona Shaw, Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan in the ABBEY THEATRE production of JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN by Henrik Ibsen, in a new version by Frank McGuinness. Directed by James Macdonald on the ABBEY stage, 13 October – 20 November 2010. Pic by Ros Kavanagh

Press release:

ABBEY THEATRE PRESENTS ‘JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN’ STARRING LINDSAY DUNCAN, ALAN RICKMAN AND FIONA SHAW

13 October 2010 - 20 November 2010 (Previews from 6 October – 12 October)

The Abbey Theatre is proud to present a major new production of Henrik Ibsen’s, devastating and darkly comic JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN in a new version by Frank McGuinness, as part of this year’s Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival.

Directed by James Macdonald, the cast includes outstanding actors – Lindsay Duncan, Alan Rickman and Fiona Shaw. JOHN GABRIEL BORKMANopens on Wednesday 13 October (previews from Wednesday 6 October) on the Abbey stage for a six week run.

Along with Duncan, Rickman and Shaw, the cast for this superb production includes Cathy Belton, John Kavanagh, Amy Molloy, Marty Rea and Joan Sheehy.

John Gabriel Borkman (Alan Rickman) was once a great man, wealthy, powerful and revered. He gave up love for success and was handsomely rewarded.

But now, disgraced and destitute after a financial scandal and prison, the former director of a bank paces out each day, alone in an upstairs room, planning his comeback. Downstairs his wife Gunhild (Fiona Shaw) lives a parallel life, plotting for their son to restore the family’s reputation.

The claustrophobia of their lives is shattered once and for all with the arrival of Gunhild’s twin sister Ella (Lindsay Duncan), the woman whose love Borkman gave away…

Set design is by Tom Pye, lighting design by Jean Kalman, sound design by Ian Dickinson while the costumes are designed by Emmy-winning designer, Joan Bergin.

Sign language interpreted performance: Thursday 11 November. Audio described and captioned performance: Saturday 13 November.

The organisation acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council.

Booking and information on www.abbeytheatre.ie and (01) 87 87 222.

Show: HEROIN
Where: Smock Alley Theatre
When: 9:45pm to Friday 17th
Duration: 70 mins
Price: €14/€12

What they say:

We are fuck ups and we are fucking it up.

There’s dust in our mouths, we’re breaking our windows, we can’t remember who we’re voting for.

We’ve collapsed all our veins so we’re standing up and shouting. We’re staying in, We’re bailing out, we’re up and away, we’re on, we’re gone.

WE’RE GETTING THE FUCK OUT OF HERE.

We’re reefing off our rings and buying more gear. Smile.

HEROIN is a radical staging of how we got here, and how much we care.

My review in 700 characters:

(Before I start this, I should point out that I am a fan of THEATREclub and have blogged about them and their shows previously. This review though has taken me a while to write - I saw the play on Friday - because I wanted to try do it justice.)

THEATREclub shook me. What I expected to be a “young people’s views on heroin” play wasn’t. It was an experience I forgot was acting, was a story. “None of this is really happening. They’re telling us it’s not happening” is still in my head. A strong and intense use of script, set, sound, video, idioms, kids, emotion, repetition, anger and very believable performances (Barry O’Connor especially), HEROIN is exceptional. The result of two years research with the Rialto Community Drug Team by Grace Dyas, it tells how Ireland messed and messes up with heroin since the 70s. This isn’t a play. It’s a real. Deservedly great reviews from lots of people. I loved it. 700 characters is far from enough.

That there is THEATREclub. Grace Dyas, Shane Byrne and Doireann Coady. You’ll hear a lot about them. You’ll like them. They make theatre. They know theatre. They are theatre. I can’t prove how brilliant they are - go see for yourself. They’re on Facebook here.