The hilarious rugby-based comedy, Alone It Stands, kicks off the new season and a new chapter at the Gaiety Theatre, according to John Costigan, executive director, at a reception to launch the autumn-winter season brochure.
Fresh from a honeymoon around Ireland's beauty spots, John Breen, writer/director of Alone It Stands, is very excited about next Tuesday's opening. "We were at the Edinburgh Festival last year and we've toured all over Ireland. The Gaiety opening will be our 400th performance," he says.
Eoin Ryan, Minister of State, gives a few words of encouragement but has no updates on the theatre's application for ACCESS funding to rebuild the backstage area. Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West, directed by Garry Hynes, is one of the programme highlights. The actress who plays Girleen, Dawn Bradfield, is at the launch and is looking forward to appearing in McDonagh's play, which is scheduled to open on Thursday, August 2nd. Also here at the lunch reception are Ciaran Walsh of Druid Theatre Company, Fergus Linehan of the Dublin Theatre Festival and Kieran Lyons, editor of new glossy, iQ.
John B. Keane's The Matchmaker returns for a week in August. Brendan Grace will give his first Dublin performance in 10 years in late October and the traditional Christmas pantomime - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - will wrap up the season.