March to June 2011 | Introducing Colleen Murphy
The world premiere.
Part of 'Introducing Colleen Murphy', a mini-season within a season as part of “In Their Place” – a three month season of work by women playwrights.
Lilly and Morgan Beaumont are comfortable in their familiar routine until Parker, a homeless man, lands on the balcony of their new condo. After scaring the older couple half to death, he pours himself into the holes of their relationship, agitating them with talk of sex - talk that drives Lilly out into the night with Parker, and sends Morgan on the road to another heart attack. A dark comedy about old love and new courage.
The three Sunday/Monday slots in the season are entirely devoted to introducing the UK to the work of one writer – multi-award-winning Canadian playwright, and our latest Playwright-in-Residence, Colleen Murphy – with a European premiere, a UK premiere and a world premiere of her work. This mini-season within a season marks Colleen’s UK debut.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Playwright Colleen Murphy was born in Quebec and grew up in Northern Ontario. Her plays include The December Man (L’homme de décembre), won the 2007 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, the CAA/Carol Bolt Award for Drama and the 2006 Enbridge playRites Award. The play premiered in February 2007 at Alberta Theatre Projects as part of their Festival of New Canadian Plays. It has also been seen at The Citadel, Edmonton, and at The Canadian Stage Company, Toronto, and translated into French and German; Beating Heart Cadaver (nominated for a 1999 Governor General’s Literary Award); The Piper, Down in Adoration Falling and All Other Destinations are Cancelled. In 2008, Murphy was shortlisted for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre. She is currently working on Deliver Me (National Arts Centre), Armstrong's War (Banff Centre) and The Birthday Boy (Shaw Festival). She has twice won awards in the CBC Literary Competition. Colleen’s distinct, award-winning films have played in festivals around the world and include Out in the Cold, Girl with Dog, War Holes, Desire, Shoemaker, The Feeler and Putty Worm. Two of her plays have been seen as staged readings at the Finborough Theatre – The December Man (L’homme de décembre) in the first Vibrant – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights in 2009, and Beating Heart Cadaver in 2010’s Vibrant – An Anniversary Festival of Finborough Playwrights.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Director Bethan Dear has recently completed the Finborough Theatre’s Resident Assistant Director programme during which she she assisted on Saturn Returns, Love on the Dole, His Greatness and as part of Vibrant – An Anniversary Festival of Finborough Playwrights – Beating Heart Cadaver, Lights in the Sky, Rock, Paper, Scissors and The Voice of Scotland. Trained at Middlesex University where she directed Mad Forest, The Raft of the Medusa and The Insect Play. Bethan has also been involved in directing overseas productions and workshops for the OYO organisation in Namibia and SoftPower Education in Uganda.
ABOUT THE ACTORS
Karen Archer's theatre includes The Gods Weep (Royal Shakespeare Company), Generous (Finborough Theatre), Hamlet/Twelfth Night (Southwark Playhouse), Mourning Becomes Electra (National Theatre), The Memory of Water (English Theatre Vienna), Ghosts (Library Theatre, Manchester) and Nicholas Nickleby (Royal Shakespeare Company National Tour and US Tour).
Damien Lyne's theatre includes The Heiress (The Mill in Sonning), The Pillowman (Leicester Curve), Boy's Life (Soho Studio), Pride With Prejudice (The Gatehouse Theatre), The Hostage (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Hummingbird (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs), King Lear (Royal Shakespeare Company) and The Country Wife (Royal Shakespeare Company). TV includes Hollyoaks, Doctors, Midsomer Murders, The Bill, and The Vice.
David Weston's theatre includes King Lear (Royal Shakespeare Company World Tour), Henry Vlll (Royal Shakespeare Company), Henry V (National Theatre), Dorian Gray (National Tour), Albert Speer (National Theatre), Summerfolk (National Theatre) and The Tempest (Royal Shakespeare Company). TV includes A Most Mysterious Murder, Doctors, Giblet Boys and Barbara.
ABOUT THE LIGHTING DESIGNER DAN CLOAKE
THE PRESS ON THE GOODNIGHT BIRD
“Wherever her previous two plays in the Sunday/Monday night slot at the Finborough this spring might have seemed to place Canadian playwright Colleen Murphy, it’s not in Alan Ayckbourn territory.Yet the opening of The Goodnight Bird, Murphy’s last play here, opens in bedroom farcical land” Timothy Ramsden, Reviewsgate
“Murphy's script is full of sharp wit and great lines” Emma Berge, British Theatre Guide
“Murphy’s play is well worth seeing. And designer Holly Seager’s set admirably expresses, within the very limited scope of the Finborough’s Sunday/Monday shows, the near-retirees’ comfortably stifling lifestyle.” Timothy Ramsden, Reviewsgate
“There is great chemistry between Archer and David Weston as Morgan.” Emma Berge, British Theatre Guide
“Damien Lyne is hysterical as Parker, the homeless man who loves stars and nature and claims to be able to smell cancer. He completely lacks inhibition as he discusses sex, describes how he peers through peoples windows and jumps naked on the bed. Lyne's performance is sincere and fearless in his depiction of a man who has no concept of social conventions.” Emma Berge, British Theatre Guide
“David Weston’s fine performance of a character whose preoccupation starts out whether he’d make the next day’s breakfast meeting, only to find his life’s expectations being undermined overnight.” Timothy Ramsden, Reviewsgate
“Makes the small Finborough stage bubble with liveliness and hilarity.” Emma Berge, British Theatre Guide
TICKETS AND TIMES
Sundays and Mondays, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 May 2011
Evenings at 7.30pm.
Performance length: Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes with one interval.
Please note that the play includes male nudity.
Tickets £13, £9 concessions
PLEASE NOTE THAT LATECOMERS CANNOT BE ADMITTED AND TICKETS CANNOT BE EXCHANGED OR REFUNDED.
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PRODUCTION TEAM
Directed by Bethan Dear
Designed by Holly Seager
Lighting by Dan Cloake
Costume Design by Fiona Albrow
Sound and Music by George Dennis
Presented by Little Bridge Productions in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre
CAST
KAREN ARCHER
DAMIEN LYNE
DAVID WESTON
