The full cast and creative team have been announced by Barn Theatre for Marie Jones’ tragicomedy Stones in His Pockets, in time for the 25th anniversary of the production.
Shaun Blaney and Gerard McCabe are to star in the Olivier award-winning show, which will take place from 27 July to 22 August.
The lighting design will be done by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner, sound design will be done by Harry Smith, and Fleur Mellor will do choreography.
Stones in His Pockets is set in rural Ireland, in a quaint village that becomes revolutionised when a Hollywood studio arrives to film the next big blockbuster. Local boys Charlie (McCabe) and Jake (Blaney) are employed as extras, but from their viewpoint, Ireland is not as rosy as the picture Hollywood paints.
Current director Matthew McElhinney is the son of the playwright and the original director, Ian McElhinney, whose mission this year is “to reclaim the story”. Discussing the play, McElhinney said: “[The play] began life in small community halls and regional venues in Ireland before going on to run for four years on the West End and then Broadway.
“A dream come true; but as a consequence of its success, throughout its many iterations it slowly began to drift away from its original essence and into the more farcical.” This year, with a whole host of Northern Irish actors and creatives, McElhinney plans to use the Belfast rehearsals to return Stones in His Pockets to its original roots.
For tickets, visit Barn Theatre’s website.
Words by Lucy Dunn
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