Monday, August 24

Tag: Marie Jones

Stones in His Pockets – Frinton Summer Theatre
South East

Stones in His Pockets – Frinton Summer Theatre

When Hollywood comes to County Kerry in rural Ireland to film their latest blockbuster, the scene is set for comic humour and plenty of twists and turns in this Olivier award-winning play that’s about so much more than being a film extra. Charlie Conlon (Matty Mccabbe) and Jake Quinn (Robbie Curran) are local lads keen to maximise the money-making opportunity – plus celebrity spotting of being on set. Of course, both have their own agendas – Charlie really wants to get his script made into a film and Jake unwittingly becomes an unlikely lothario attracting the attentions of the glamourous movie star Caroline Giovanni. What makes this play by Marie Jones so special is the fact all of the characters (I think perhaps there were 15 in total) are played by just two actors. And it actually...
Stones In His Pockets – Octagon Theatre, Bolton
North West

Stones In His Pockets – Octagon Theatre, Bolton

When a Hollywood studio arrives in the quiet, rural backwater of County Kerry in the west of Ireland to film their latest big budget drama ‘The Quiet Valley’, there is much excitement in the local community. Told through the eyes of Charlie (Gerard McCabe) and Jake (Shaun Blaney), this tale of thwarted ambition and lost opportunity veers starkly between farcical comedy and dark pathos without really convincing in either genre, despite the extremely strong performances from the gifted cast of two. Written by Marie Jones in 1996, ‘Stones’ has come to be regarded as an iconic show in its native Ireland, winning acclaim for its tragicomic depiction of the differences between the cruel reality of Irish rural life and its idealisation in film and television. Charlie and Jake are initially bot...