Restless Ecstasy and The New Theatre present the Irish Premiere of "Skin Tight" by Gary He

Tues-Sat, August 6th –17th 2019 @ 7:30pm

Matinees: Sat 10th & 17th @2:00pm

Directed by Owen Lindsay

Starring Madeleine Dunne and Barry John Kinsella

New, dynamic, boundary-pushing theatre company Restless Ecstasy brings the award-winning play by New Zealand’s premier playwright to The New Theatre, Temple Bar.

"I'm not afraid, Tom. Sooner or later your life becomes parched. Its rivers run thin. Its mountains have melted into the distance as blue and cool as memories."

Tom and Elizabeth, an ordinary couple with an extraordinary love, relive their darkest secrets, deepest passions and heart-breaking truths. No matter what life has thrown at them, as they live, love, fight, make up, got to war, sell the farm and grow old, as long as they can be together they wouldn't change a thing. One of New Zealand’s most beloved plays, Skin Tight is a moving and magical love story, both passionate and brutal, brought to the stage Dublin’s New Theatre with Restless Ecstasy’s trademark energy, invention and courage.

Skin Tight won a Fringe First award in 1994 and has been performed throughout the English-speaking world, including the USA, Canada, UK and South Africa. This will be both the national premiere of this work and the first time that any New Zealand playwright has received a professional production in the Republic of Ireland.

Artists:

Playwright Gary Henderson was born in Geraldine in South Canterbury. His plays have been produced in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Great Britain, Canada and the United States. Gary received a Fringe Award for Excellence for The Big Blue Planet Earth Show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 1992, and a Chapman Tripp Theatre Award for best new short play in 1996 for Mo & Jess Kill Susie. Home Land, commissioned and produced by Fortune Theatre in Dunedin (2004) and Peninsula, commissioned by the Christchurch Arts Festival and directed by Gary at The Court Theatre (2005). Other commissions include Lines of Fire for Wow! Productions, Stealing Games for Capital E National Theatre for Children; My Bed My Universe for Massive Company and Shepherd for The Court Theatre, Christchurch.

Director Owen Lindsay was born in Dublin, Ireland and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. Returning to Ireland in 2005 having completed a BPA (Bachelor of Performing Arts) at Auckland University, he spent several years working and studying in Dublin before undertaking an MA in Classical Acting at Drama Centre London. Previous directing credits include Normal, Antenora and Slaughterhouse (all Restless Ecstasy), the Operas Suor Angelica and La Clemenza di Tito, (Giornata Opera) and fight direction for Julius Caesar (Classic Stage Ireland), Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and The Tempest (Say Two Productions) and Digging for Fire (1984 Productions). Assistant directing credits include Hamlet (Icarus Theatre Collective) and Macbeth (Say Two Productions). In October 2019 he will direct the Austrian English-language premiere of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect for Open House Theatre, Vienna.

Cast:

Madeleine Dunne studied at The University Of Birmingham and at East 15 Acting School in London, where she currently lives and works. Stage credits include Mischief Making Max (Total Insight Theatre), Absolute Certainty (Hambre Productions), Bare (Mind the Gap), Quarter Life Crisis (Ovalhouse, London), Drinks (BasicSpace Festival/ 3 Pegs Productions) and Misbegotten Hope of the Dirty Bird (Riot Act). Her film work includes Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times (2018), Polly (2017) and The Screaming Skull (2016). Madeleine has written and produced her one-woman show Mind the Gap, which was performed as part of a trilogy of solo work in 2016. She's an avid poet, and is currently writing a Comedy series for television.

Barry John Kinsella is an actor and writer. Since graduating from the 3 year Acting Course at The Lir Academy in July 2018, he made his professional stage debut in Madhouse (Abbey Theatre/Peacock) and portrayed Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (Gate Theatre). At The Lir he performed in productions of La Ronde, Playboy of the Western World, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Winter’s Tale, Thyestes and Love’s Labour’s Lost. Barry made his screen debut in feature films Lily (2016) and Duets (2019) and The Rollover (2018). Short films include WAVE directed by TJ Peyton O'Grady and Oscar winner Benjamin Cleary, Look Closer, directed by Aleksander Szeser, The Lack Of Colour, starting Bosco Hogan, directed by Aidan Gibson and written by Barry himself. He also starred in two short films directed by Conor McMahon.

Date and Times: Performances: Aug 6-17, Tuesday-Saturday @ 7:30pm

Matinees: Saturdays, Aug 10-17 @2:30pm (no Performance Sunday or Monday)

Suitable for ages 16+: performance contains nudity and strobe lighting.

Location: The New Theatre

43 Essex St East

Temple Bar

Dublin

DO2 XH96

Complimentary Passes to Premiere for press and other media are available upon request.

Ticket Price: €17.00 Standard or €14.00 concessions – student, pensioner or groups over 8 people.

Booking: Online at www.thenewtheatre.com or Ph.: +353 1 670 3361

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