devious theatre Category

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June 26, 2019 • devious theatre, Theatre

The Roaring Banshees

 

So very excited to be bringing this show to the stage this August.

The Roaring Banshees by Peter McGann and myself is the second part of our Ripping Yarn Trilogy following on from The Hellfire Squad which we premiered in 2016. We’re again working with our favourite collaborator, the brilliant Sarah Baxter who will also be directing this show.

It’s one thing to come up with a fairly out there idea but another thing entirely to see it coming to life in such vivid fashion. Anyway, we thought Cumann na mBan versus Al Capone’s Outfit would be a cracking idea for a new play.

Cumann na mBan’s baddest, meanest and most ruthless beures, pulled from their individual clubs by Countess Markievicz and assembled into a unit of Ireland’s most feared assassins. Played by the amazing cast of Nessa Matthews, Ali Fox, Clodagh Mooney Duggan, Aoife Spratt, Amy Dunne, Laura Brady and Aine Ni Laoghaire.

Chicago, 1923.

After a failed assassination attempt on Eamon de Valera, a rogue Cumann na mBán unit flee across the Atlantic to escape the law. With Prohibition in full swing, they earn their keep by making bootleg poitín and selling it on to the Chicago mob.

But it’s not long before a gang war breaks out with them caught in the middle, and the lethal skills they honed back home hunting Black and Tans are taken to the bullet-strewn streets of the Windy City.

Here’s the trailer for the show, made by the brilliant Sean Clancy.

I’m so excited to see this one hit the stage and we hope audiences get a kick out of it. No Let Up.

1-3 August, Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny: https://bit.ly/2NMKObA

12-31 August, Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin: https://bit.ly/2GjFFl7

 

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February 22, 2018 • devious theatre

Vehicle

I’ve been doing some work on the new work in progress piece from Devious Theatre.

Vehicle is a lo-fi sci-fi comedy about Charles Bonjell, a rough and ready human bounty hunter charged with transporting Rita Vulcra, a smart talking alien con-woman across the galaxy in a talking space vehicle that is falling apart. A frantic and hilarious race against time ensues.

The show was devised by the company and we’ve had a lot of fun doing that over the past couple of weeks. It’s being directed with aplomb by Sarah Baxter and stars John Doran, Aoife Spratt and Peter McGann as the voice of Vehicle. Here’s a wee trailer shot and cut by Ed Murphy.

It plays as a work in progress showing in Smock Alley Theatre on February 24th & 25th as part of Scene + Heard 2018. Check out the full programme here.

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August 21, 2016 • devious theatre, Theatre

Pulled

Pulled main

I have nothing to do with this but I’m posting anyway because it’s going to be great and I can’t wait to see it.

I’ve just come off working on the first two parts of Devious Theatre’s Devious 10 programme, Heart Shaped Vinyl and The Hellfire Squad so I just get to watch the third one like a proper fan. And that third and final part is Pulled by Niamh Moroney.

A comedy about two girls fightin’ the fear. Who will pull through? Amanda or Michelle? Maybe they’ll just pull the heads off each other… Join these two man eating club stomping wans as they battle one of the worst hangovers of their lives as they attempt to follow a trail of snapchats, texts, and selfies back to memories long lost to shots- what and who they did last night?! How did Michelle end up here, where the hell was Amanda? Or… do they even want to know? 

The show is a collaboration between Devious Theatre and Central Arts down Waterford way. Pulled will be performed by Niamh Moroney and Andrea Bolger who makes her debut with us. The show is directed by Ita Morrissey and produced by John O’Connell of Central Arts.
Pulled premieres in Central Arts, Waterford from September 13th-17th. It follows up with a three night run in the Set Theatre, Kilkenny from September 29th-October 1st. Do go see it.

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July 26, 2016 • devious theatre, Theatre

Squad Goals

hellfire-promo-7

The Hellfire Squad kicked off last week for its run in Project Arts Centre. It went down an absolute storm thankfully and we were very surprised (not to mention delighted) to sell out the 7 performance run.

hellfire_squad_web-10

We’ve been bowled over by the reaction to it. Considering how long we’ve been developing it for, it’s great to see it go down so well with audience members. Here’s an article Peter McGann and myself wrote about the writing of it.

hellfire_squad_web-27

Devious Theatre complete the home leg of the run from Thursday July 28th to Saturday July 30th in The Watergate Theatre as part of this years AKA festival. We’re delighted to bring it home and hopefully it will be met with the same reaction it was in Dublin. If you fancy a ripping yarn about the origins of Michael Collins’ hit squad, you can book your tickets on 056 – 7761674 or get them online here.

hellfire_squad_web-19

Here’s some of the plaudits the show has received during its Dublin run.

“McGann and Morton’s script manages to be historically accurate and hilarious” – Sunday Business Post.

“A modern Irish classic” – Pure M Magazine

“Admirably, the playmakers are more interested in a reclamation project, restoring these secret fighters to the record.” – Exeunt Magazine

“The play zips along at breakneck speed under the tight direction of Sarah Baxter” – The Kilkenny People

“An innovative view of the period and shows that we don’t have to treat the heroes of yesteryear with solemnity.” – No More Workhorse

We’ve also made two trailers for the show which you can view here:

God bless the work.

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June 25, 2016 • devious theatre, Theatre

The Hellfire Squad

The Hellfire Squad - Main Poster

Say your prayers, The Hellfire Squad have risen.

Here’s the first look at the titular band of assassins assembled by Michael Collins in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising. They will be brought to the stage in Devious Theatre’s newest production next month.

A work blessing, gun running, porter swilling, scheme hatching, agent killing, hooley throwing, ballad singing, yarn spinning, card playing, hurl swinging, bomb rigging, shit kicking, freedom fighting, bullet spewing, hell blazing shower of miscreants as you’ll ever meet. God bless the work.

‪I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to put anything on the stage and I don’t think I ever will be again. Peter McGann and myself have been working on it for the past number of years and Sarah Baxter is currently doing a damn fine job of directing us into shape. The great costumes here are designed by Helen McGinty with some damn fine photography and design from Ken McGuire.

The show plays Project Arts Centre, Dublin from July 18-23 and Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny from July 28-30. For more visit devioustheatre.com

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May 18, 2016 • devious theatre

Heart Shaped Vinyl

HSV Main

Devious Theatre kick off their Devious 10 programme with a new version of my first play Heart Shaped Vinyl.

I’m directing it here for the first time, as well as back in the acting saddle with Simone Kelly, playing the 1960’s section of the play which we first performed in 2006 and again in 2007.

HSV 1960's

In synopsis form:

Heart Shaped Vinyl is a theatrical mix tape focusing on pop music, relationships and a whole lot of heartbreak over the course of six decades. Originally set between 1963 and 2006, this new version adds a brand new story set in the years 2014 and 2016. The play is broken into Side A and Side B, both of which tell different sides of six different stories featuring an ensemble cast of 14 actors.

After the last few years of writing and making plays, it’s been an odd experience to revisit the first play you wrote and try not to ‘improve’ it. We’ve been using the word ‘reissue’ in a gimmicky way to promote the play but after watching the dress rehearsal last night, I think it actually does the best job of describing it. What we have now, aptly enough, is a play that’s a mix of old and new. There’s such a brilliant cast and crew and the craic that we’ve been having can be seen up there on the stage. It’s been pretty nostalgic making it, particularly 10 years after we set up the company and it’s been a very humbling and honest return to the roots of how we made it the first time: no bullshit, no pressure, no budget, no limits. Just playing for the love of playing. All we need now is an audience and we can shut up and play the hits.

Heart Shaped Vinyl plays for the next two weeks from May 18th-21st and 25th-28th in Cleeres Theatre on Parliament Street, Kilkenny at 8pm nightly. Tickets can be booked here.

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March 14, 2016 • devious theatre, Theatre

God Bless The Work…

hellfire-web

After 7 years of mild to intensive labour, Peter McGann and myself have finally given birth to The Hellfire Squad. It’ll be the first play focusing solely on Michael Collins infamous hit squad, a Dirty Dozen style adventure about the assembly, training and deployment of a bunch of mismatched assassins in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising. I’m very excited to debut this new play as part of Devious Theatre’s 10th birthday programme, handily entitled Devious 10. The production will be directed by the brilliant Sarah Baxter, who I mostly recently worked with on Taboo, and produced by the bold Ken McGuire, who I have worked on a stupid amount of theatre with over the past 10 years. It will take its debut bow in Project Arts Centre, Dublin from 18-23 July and Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny from 28-30 July as part of this years Alternative Kilkenny Arts programme. God bless the work.

We are about to launch a Fund It campaign for the play so keep an eye out for that and maybe help support the cause.

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December 14, 2015 • devious theatre, Theatre

Shut Up And Play The Hits

hsv-teaser-web

Over Devious Theatre way, 10th birthday celebrations are about to kick in for 2016 and the first announcement of what we’re calling Devious 10 has been made. The first Devious Theatre production (and my first play to boot) Heart Shaped Vinyl is getting a fresh spin in a new version in May 2016.

Heart Shaped Vinyl is a theatrical mix tape focusing on pop music, relationships and a whole lot of heartbreak in Ireland over the course of six decades. Originally set between 1962 and 2006, this new version adds a brand new story set in the years 2014 and 2016. The play is broken into Side A and Side B, both of which tell a different side of six different stories featuring an ensemble cast of 14 actors. Here’s the very first poster:

HSV Original

First performed in Cleeres Theatre in August 2006, the show was restaged in June 2007 and again for a one off Rockfall show in October 2007. It’s had a good life since then with a lot of college drama socs and am dram companies producing it. First time we did this show, we were so scared of being a ‘grown up’ theatre company that I didn’t have my name on it as the writer (god bless you Billy Shears) and we made up a fictional director for it (the late Tony M. Everard). Pups we were. It’s weird to return to your first play after 10 years and curse all the things you did when you were starting out. That being said, it seems like a fitting way to cap off what’s been a great 10 year run with a little theatre company we set up in a coffee shop in Kilkenny back in May 2006. So yeah, we’re shutting up and playing the hits. Heart Shaped Vinyl returns to Cleeres Theatre, Kilkenny for eight performances only from 18th-21st and 25th-28th May 2016. The rest of our Devious 10 programme will be launched in the new year. If you want to grab tickets for the show, they’re already on sale right here.

Also, this here is some solid work from Paddy Dunne, who designed the very first Heart Shaped Vinyl teaser in 2006 and who delivered another cracker here for the reissue.

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July 29, 2015 • devious theatre, Theatre

The Union

The Union Main Poster

I’m directing the new Devious Theatre joint which opens tonight in Cleere’s Theatre, Kilkenny. It’s been a blast to work on and it’s been such a pleasure working with such a solid cast, crew and material. So yeah, come see it!

The Union by Adrian Kavanagh is a furiously funny dramatic retelling of the rise and fall of St. Dominic’s Student Union. The play takes place in the final days of the current student union regime in a failing regional college. Five erstwhile colleagues are locked in one room knowing that one of them stole the €10,060 fundraised cash that their reputations, hopes, dreams, careers and election campaigns are hinged on. Backs will be stabbed, hearts will be broke and throats will be cut. The clock is ticking. We’re going to see how united this Union really is.

Here’s the Rushmore riffing trailer for the show.

It runs in Cleeres Theatre from July 29th-August 1st. More info can be found on www.devioustheatre.com.

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April 8, 2015 • devious theatre, vultures

Vultures – The Radio Series

Vultures Radio

Vultures, a radio series I wrote and directed and use my voice acting in, is currently airing on KCLR96FM in a production from Devious Theatre.

I’m not hugely experienced when it comes to making radio so this was a tough, but welcome, challenge. The idea of doing a murder mystery radio serial was too hard to resist and I absolutely overindulged myself in making this. I sure do love the ol’ dick fic.

Here’s the synopsis:

Vultures focuses on the private detectives of Vulture Private Investigations, a small time detective agency in south east Ireland. Janine Drew, Dan McGrain, Jim Vultour and Niall Tennyson are the detectives in question and the story follows them as they get caught up in a suspenseful murder mystery at the Detective Union Of Ireland AGM. The show follows the varying perspectives of the four bungling sleuths as they trawl the corridors of Wisteria Lodge, searching for a killer, quizzing a colourful cast of suspects and trying to figure out who killed Ireland’s most famous detective Basil Maguire? And why?

The cast for the series includes Stephen Colfer, Ross Costigan, John Doran, Amy Dunne, Seán Hackett, Ken McGuire, Niamh Moyles, Suzanne O’Brien and David Thompson. It was produced and engineered by Ken McGuire with Alan Slattery as associate producer and an original score from David Sheenan. Here’s a trailer we put together for the show.

It airs each weekday at 1.45pm and 5.45pm on KCLR96FM. You can check out all the episodes so far, right here.

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