Trainspotting Review: Kilkenny Advertiser

Here’s our first press review for TRAINSPOTTING. It was published in John Cleere’s ‘Cleere Thinking’ column in the June 26th edition of the Kilkenny Advertiser.

TRAINSPOTTING AT THE WATERGATE THEATRE

Have you ever watched the high wire act at the circus? Part of the fascination is wondering will someone slip and crash to the ground.

The Devious Theatre Company took the high wire this week when they tackled Irvine Welsh’s ‘Trainspotting’. This was risky stuff, the film is familiar to the mainly young audience, so they needed to bring something fresh to their stage adaptation.

I’m glad to say there are no shattered bones or broken artistic reputations to report. For anyone unfamiliar with the book or film, this is the story of a bunch pretty hopeless cases living very close to, if not completely over, the edge in Edinburgh. This isn’t the Edinburgh seen by visitors to the arts festival or rugby internationals. We are down in the underbelly where unemployment, alcohol and heroin are boss.

So, in a week that the country has been officially declared to be in a recession, is this the type of show that we really need? Actually I think it is. Along with a dose of reality there are plenty of laughs, especially once you come to terms with the near perfect Scottish accents.

The play has a cast of 11, some playing multiple roles. This is a big undertaking, but the company use two directors, Niamh Moroney and John Morton, to knock it into shape. I caught the opening night where there were just a couple of slow moments, but this should be ironed out by now.

With such a large cast it’s probably unfair to single out any individual performance, but in this case Ross Costigan deserves special mention. He is on stage for most of the show and you just know that this is the part he always wanted as he makes his journey through the hell of heroin addiction and back out again.

By the way, if you are easily offended this is probably not the play for you, although thousands of people seem to have no problem guffawing away to much more distasteful material from Tommy Tiernan.

Earlier in the day I attended the AGM of Kilkenny Tourism where the County Manager, Joe Crockett, outlined the importance of arts and culture to the future of Kilkenny. The Devious Theatre could be as important to Kilkenny as Druid Theatre have been to Galway or Red Kettle to Waterford, given the proper encouragement and support.

‘Trainspotting’ continues at The Watergate until Saturday June 28. ‘Not to be missed’, as the reviewers love to say.

JOHN CLEERE

Arrival: Trainspotting Production Week

So we’ve arrived. The past few days have seen a flurry of activity as the Devious crew have worked at break neck pace to get everything into gear. We arrived into the Watergate Theatre early on Sunday morning and it’s been all go, go, go since then. I’ve loved every single fucking minute of it, the excitement leading up to opening night is my favourite part of a production and this one has been fantastic. Everybody basically moves into the theatre for the week and it’s like one big messy happy family… of junkies and the like.

Right now, unfinished as it is, the set is looking absolutely wonderful…. Well, wonderful in its manky, derelict style. Eddie, Colm, Tommy, Murt, Liadain and all the other troopers for the cause have really busted their asses getting it into shape and it’s looking great. It still needs a few touch ups today but it should be all ready to go for tonight.

The costumes are looking brilliant, especially under Gerry Taylor’s fantastic lights. God bless red brick wallpaper too… what a time saver! Both myself and Ross now have shite manky dyed hair, thanks to Aileen’s wonderful dye expertise. We now affectionately refer to each other as ‘red heided cunt’ and ‘blue heided cunt’. There will be staring.

The fridge is stacked with Red Bull and to a lesser extent, Red Rooster but at 1.79 a bottle, who’s to discriminate? Fresh drug paraphernalia has been procured…still horrible sharp fuckers. Actors are giddy with excitement…and Red Bull. The music sounds great blasting out around the theatre. We can’t find a cot so we’re using a trolley… for now. After the tech and dress rehearsals we’ve all been so excited, exhausted, energised and depleted to a crazy level. We need, we need, we need! The kettle has consistently been on the boil. The Thomas the Tank Engine theme tune plays incessantly in our heads. Scottish accents have been on the go and boy, are we freaking out people who don’t know us. Ross actually cannot go back to his normal accent. Plus we look odd anyway. We’re all excited, prepared, anxious and ready but most of all, after all the months of blood, sweat and tea… we’ve arrived.

And I hope you enjoy our stay as much as we will.

Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting starts tonight and runs until Saturday 28th of June. Tickets can be booked in the Watergate Theatre and at their box office on 056 – 7761674. Tickets are 12EURO and the show begins at 8pm nightly.

Theatre: it beats any meat injection, it beats any fucking cock in the world. Wait… hold on… eh… ah, fuck it. It does.

John Morton
Co – Director
Trainspotting

Due To Arrive: Rehearsals, Week 8

So we’re nearly there, a week off our arrival in the Watergate Theatre. Fucking hell, it’s been a quick two months.

All the posters have been completed. All 10 of the bastards. A serious amount of props and kudos must go out to our own Paddy Dunne for the serious hard work and graft he’s put into the poster designs for Trainspotting. I’d go out on a limb and say, not only are they wonderfully representative of the characters who populate Irvine Welsh’s work and create a perfect sense of the world they inhabit but they’ve done a great job of not stepping on the toes of the film incarnations. A hell of an achievement all round Paddy, and it was a pleasure to work on them with you.

Months ago, myself, Paddy and Niamh really busted our asses as we entered pre-production on establishing the style of this play, its colour scheme and the general design scheme. Months on from that, we’re happy with how it’s worked out. I think it’s going to be quite a unique interpretation and hopefully in line with what Harry Gibson wanted to achieve with Trainspotting on the stage. Part of our approach was trying to move away from the film but another part of it is trying to establish a truly unique theatrical experience and I’m confident we’re going to achieve that.

Rehearsal wise, we’ve finished all our blocking and now the actors are polishing their performances and generally tightening up their scenes. They’re a great bunch, and I can genuinely say, the best bunch of actors I’ve ever worked with on any production. Ever. Full stop. And that includes any other amateur, college or professional shows. And if I may sound not too professional about it, I can’t wait for the few post show drinks with this lot. When you’re dealing with subject matter as dark and intense as that in Trainspotting, it really helps to be with a bunch of people who can keep things light hearted and they really are a funny bunch of fuckers…. Yup, top cunts all round.

Speaking of which, we should really have brought a swear jar into rehearsals. Everybody has grown sailor’s mouths since production started and it’s a bit scary how desensitized we’ve become to really hardcore swearing. Between our foul mouths and our suitably degenerated costumes we should form quite a scary proposition for people post show each night. And of course, our poor families.

In many ways, I think everything is gonna seem a little tasteless after Trainspotting, it’s been a hell of a ride for all of us at Devious. Much better than Kilkenny to Athy, that’s for sure.

Of course, as Mark Renton advocates, the importance of preparation is key and we’ve been frantically scurrying about trying to get everything in shape. Myself, Paddy, Niamh, Kev and Ken have been trying to make sure that boats haven’t been missed on the program or PR front and it seems to be quite smoothly building word of mouth. All boats have been caught but forget boats from now on, trains all the way!

But hopefully that will show how ingrained this show has become into our waking hours! And I think our living, breathing and walking of Irvine Welsh’s work will show up onstage. But there’s a week to go, lots more needs to be done. We haven’t quite arrived yet but we’re due to…

Tickets for Trainspotting are still booking at The Watergate Theatre, the number is (056) 7761674 and the dates are June 24th – 28th. I hope to see you there.

John Morton

Co-Director

Trainspotting

P.S. As a recommendation, for anyone who hasn’t read it, Irvine Welsh’s PORNO, the sequel to TRAINSPOTTING, is a fantastic read. Myself and Paddy have been knuckling into it the past few weeks and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This is my second read of it and it’s still so fresh and well written. I just hope they make it into a movie… fuck Ewan McGregor.

TRAINSPOTTING: Character Promo – Sick Boy

‘Good ol fashioned Scottish hoaspitality. Ye cannae beat it’

The final reveal in our series of Trainspotting posters sees the debut bow of the wide eyed wannabe entrepreneur with a heart of pure deviousness, Simon ‘Sick Boy’ Williamson.

Junkie. Rent boy. Pimp. Sean Connery devotee. Sick Boy tries to be a lot of things. As played by John Morton, we see that underneath the smooth calm exterior is a man who would screw over his friends just as easily as he’d screw a couple of American tourists, sexually and financially of courshe. Always on the game, seemingly with nothing to lose… or does he?

John Morton is a founding member of The Devious Theatre Company and has appeared in all of their productions. He is also Co-Director on Trainspotting.

This poster also features Mairead Kiernan (right), who plays a variety of different roles in Trainspotting. This marks Mairead’s debut role with Devious Theatre.

As designed by Paddy Dunne, these character posters for Trainspotting have served to introduce the many faces of Irvine Welsh’s work, or even reintroducing them to people familiar with the previous incarnations of the characters.

Tickets for Trainspotting are already available in The Watergate Theatre and can be purchased at 056 – 7761674.

Trainspotting will arrive onstage, next week, from June 24th to the 28th.

TRAINSPOTTING: Character Promo – Mother Superior

‘Would sir care to pay for his bill in advance?’

The latest reveal in our series of seemingly never ending Trainspotting posters is the introduction of everybody’s friendly neighborhood drug dealer, Johnny ‘The Mother Superior’ Swann.

Played by Paul Young, Johnny is a cheerful soul who feeds a heroin addiction as easily as some of us eat. Perpetually ‘bombed oot ay his box’, Johnny was given the moniker ‘Mother Superior’ due to the length of his habit. And like a typical mother, everyone falls under the care of the White Swan’s tending wing.

This marks Paul Young’s debut appearance with The Devious Theatre Company.

These character posters for Trainspotting serve to introduce the many faces of Irvine Welsh’s work, or even reintroducing them to people familiar with the previous incarnations of the characters.

As designed by Paddy Dunne, the posters will be unveiled in the weeks leading up to the performance.

Tickets for Trainspotting are already available in The Watergate Theatre and can be purchased at 056 – 7761674.

Trainspotting will arrive onstage from June 24th to the 28th.

TRAINSPOTTING: Character Promo – Lizzie

‘So ye’d rather go tae a concert wi Davie Mitchell than go to the pictures wi me?!!?’

The latest character in our series of Trainspotting posters is the introduction of the shrieking girlfriend from hell, Lizzie MacIntosh.

Played by Simone Kelly, Lizzie is loud, overbearing, demanding and has a mouth like a sailor. This does not make life easy for her good natured boyfriend Tommy. So, why stay with her? Well, she’s a cracker in the sack, isn’t she?

Simone Kelly has appeared in every one of our productions so far. She played Julie in all three runs of Heart Shaped Vinyl and also appeared in Cannibal! The Musical.

This poster also features Michael Murphy as Davie Mitchell. One of his many guises, Michael plays more than a dozen characters in Trainspotting. This is his debut production with Devious Theatre.

These character posters for Trainspotting serve to introduce the many faces of Irvine Welsh’s work, or even reintroducing them to people familiar with the previous incarnations of the characters.

As designed by Paddy Dunne, the posters will be unveiled in the weeks leading up to the performance.

Tickets for Trainspotting are already available in The Watergate Theatre and can be purchased at 056 – 7761674.

Trainspotting will arrive onstage from June 24th to the 28th.

I’ve Got My Tickets, How About You?

Well, ok, I don’t have tickets for the show. The only reason being is that I’m actually in the show. But we’ve had a few questions recently via email as to how people can book tickets for the show. So in case you’ve missed the notes around the site and in the press that bookings are currently open at The Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny, you can book tickets

• By calling into the Watergate Theatre box office on Parliament Street in Kilkenny
• Over the phone / by credit card by phoning the box office on +353 56 7761674

The Watergate can post tickets out to you until the week of the show, or you can pay for your tickets in advance and collect them at the box office on or before the performance night.

Don’t forget, we’re running from June 24 to June 28, the show starts at 8pm nightly and you should be able to join us for pints across in Cleere’s from about 10pm onwards. You’re buying the first round by the way. After all, we’re just humble, broke actors in this game for the sheer love of it. That and the adrenaline rush of course.

TRAINSPOTTING: Character Promo – Dianne

‘Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?’

Our latest character introduction in our series of Trainspotting promos sees debut of the smart mouthed beauty with a devious secret, Dianne.

Played by Suzanne O’Brien, Dianne likes to wrap men around her finger, not for any malicious reason, just because, well… she can. It’s all the more helpful if they can score her some hash in the process. But as our picture reveals, there’s something Dianne isn’t telling Mark Renton. Something slightly, Lolita-esque?

Suzanne O’ Brien is a stalwart of our company at this stage. She has previously appeared in Heart Shaped Vinyl and Cannibal! The Musical.

These character posters for Trainspotting serve to introduce the many faces of Irvine Welsh’s work, or even reintroducing them to people familiar with the previous incarnations of the characters.

As designed by Paddy Dunne, the posters will be unveiled in the weeks leading up to the performance.

Tickets for Trainspotting are already available in The Watergate Theatre and can be purchased at 056 – 7761674.

Trainspotting will arrive onstage from June 24th to the 28th.

TRAINSPOTTING: Character Promo – Tommy

‘Funny how it aw works oot, eh?’

The newest reveal in our series of Trainspotting character promos sees the introduction of the doomed hero at the core of the play, Tommy McKenzie.

Played by Ken McGuire, Tommy is the fit, healthy outgoing moral centre of Trainspotting. He likes his pint, his game of football and loves his Iggy Pop. And he doesn’t do heroin, even if a lot of his mates do more than enough of it.

Tommy’s addiction is life. And when it starts to fall apart on him, darker addictions start to take hold.

Ken McGuire is one of the founding members of Devious Theatre and has appeared in each of our productions so far. He previously directed Cannibal! The Musical.

These character posters for Trainspotting serve to introduce the many faces of Irvine Welsh’s work, or even reintroducing them to people familiar with the previous incarnations of the characters.

As designed by Paddy Dunne, the posters will be unveiled in the weeks leading up to the performance.

Tickets for Trainspotting are already available in The Watergate Theatre and can be purchased at 056 – 7761674.

Trainspotting will arrive onstage from June 24th to the 28th.

Trainspotting – Choo Choo (Rehearsals Week 5)

Choo choo!

Well, it’s nearly due to arrive.

Due to the fear of mastering Scottish accents, authentically depicting junkiedom and doing Irvine Welsh’s masterful text some justice, we’ve being giving rehearsals the entire sock drawer the past few weeks.

We’re nearly at the stage where the entire play is blocked, the scenes are looking in pretty decent shape. We’re lucky to have such a good piece of core material that gives the actors so much to chow down on. Harry Gibson’s adaptation has put a lot of lovely theatrical devices into play and we’ve really relished the character’s asides, narrative monologues, multiple playing, abstract scenarios and musical sequences. Yup… I said it… musical sequences.

We had our first rehearsals last week with the drug paraphernalia and it was pretty intense to be honest. Everybody was a little bit freaked out by the sight of the needles and syringes. Horrible, sharp fuckers. We had ourselves some cooking lessons, so to speak, just to get the hang of preparing heroin. It’s gonna need a lot of practice but we’ll get there. We want to be very responsible with this production and we don’t want to give any false impressions of heroin addiction or the use of the drug so we’re trying to be as authentic as we possibly can be with the portrayal of drug use. Of course, we drew the line at preparing with real heroin….we just used gravy. Suffice to say, it smelt manky. Don’t ever try and heat gravy up with a spoon and lighter.

As some of you may have seen, Paddy Dunne’s wizardry on the design front has so far produced 4 amazing character posters with another 5 in the works. Not to mention a main, all encompassing poster and the teaser poster of our take on the iconic Trainspotting skull motif. So yeah, Paddy’s been a busy man and I’m sure he’ll be offering some words of wisdom on his creative process in the coming weeks… when he finally gets to drag himself away from Photoshop of course. All in all, 11 posters for a 5 night run of a play might be seen as being too much but fuck it, it costs us nothing but our time and imagination… and a little blutac. We get very excited by this whole theatre lark and we’d like to get other people excited about it too, likesay, ken?

The costumes are looking lovely too. Well, as lovely as drab costumes for a bunch of junkies, thieves and psychopaths in 1980’s Edinburgh can look. Most of the bits and pieces have been put into place and the look of the characters is taking shape. We’ve gone back to the book for ideas on how the characters look, rather than fall into the trap of emulating some of the film’s designs. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who were quite taken aback by the fact that Ross is not sporting the Ewan McGregor shaved head look. Instead, we’ve gone with Mark Renton as he is in the book, a pasty faced unhygienic ginger sort. And as you can see from the Renton character poster he’s sporting a ginger do that’s reminiscent of Bowie during his Berlin era.

We’ve had a lot of design meetings these past few weeks and the set is also coming together pretty well. Eddie, our set designer, has been drawing up his plans and stock piling material and it’s going to be a lovely ramshackle mess methinks. Check out our ‘Trainspotting Design’ album to see a couple of ideas and visual pointers for the look of our production. It ain’t pretty that’s for sure.

We’ve also just embarked on our PR blitz and we’re trying to get the play out there as much as we humanely can. So, pass the word around!

The tickets are booking for the play so if you wanna ensure seats 056 – 7761674 is the number to ring. We’re 3 weeks off the play at this stage which is absolutely mind boggling. I’m gonna go now and be a little terrified.

Choose tea.

John Morton
Co – Director
Trainspotting