Official site of Kilkenny-based theatre company, The Devious Theatre Company. Find details on Heart Shaped Vinyl, Cannibal The Musical, Trainspotting, Smitten and The War Of The Worlds.
It’s a late greeting, we know, but we haven’t had much to say until now!
Okay, so, we need dramatic actor types!
We’re currently in the process of casting our new show and we’ve got some openings we’d like to fill if at all possible. The play itself and the parts are under wraps for now but if you’re interested at all, we will fill you in on contact.
Female:40′s – 60′s. Role is quite small, non verbal, lots of physicality.
Male:Late 30′s – late 40′s, role is small, non verbal, lots of physicality, also needed for a film shoot connected to the project.
The play will rehearse in Kilkenny in June and will be performed in July… and maybe later. At present, the production is profit share and the roles will be paid on that basis.
If you’re interested and available, please contact us on info@devioustheatre.com with a statement of interest and if you have a CV and/or headshot, please submit them also.
It’s been a hell of a 12 months for Devious Theatre. This time last year we were prepping for 3 plays. We did 4. Then did a play within a play, that kinda makes five. Plus collectively our core bunch of awesome thespians dipped their toes in and out of the water with other companies and festivals, so it’s been nuts. But terrifically so. Currently, we’re prepping for another 3… we hope it stays at that number.
Our big project of 2011 was In The Future When All’s Well which was our biggest project ever in fact. Three plays in six months and two of them hit the road. We kept busy for the rest of the year though… and now we’re absolutely, fucking wrecked. But happy.
Here’s what we did:
Scratcher
Written and directed by John Morton, produced by Ken McGuire, Angela Barrett and Paddy Dunne, it took its bow on February 17th in Project Arts Centre as part of The Theatre Machine Turns You On Volume II. It played in Kilkenny Arts Office from 22nd – 26th February in Kilkenny Arts Office.We may just bring it back if it stays relevant… and so far, it is.
Shifting
Written by John Kennedy, directed by John Morton, produced by Ken McGuire, Angela Barrett and Paddy Dunne. Shifting played 18th – 23rd April in Kilkenny Arts Office as part of In The Future When All’s Well. It turned out to be our biggest hit of the year.
Smitten
Written by John Morton, directed by Angela Barrett & John Morton, produced by Paddy Dunne and Ken McGuire. Smitten opened in Solstice as part of Cork Midsummer Festival on June 16th and played Kilkenny Arts Office from June 26th – July 2nd as part of In The Future When All’s Well. We liked it better this time.
Bash: Latterday Plays
Written by Neil LaBute, directed by Ken McGuire, Annette O’Shea and John Morton. Produced by Angela Barrett. It played Cleere’s Theatre from October 17th – 22nd. This was the first time we went serious… no one laughed. Much. In fact, some people walked out. That’s what it’s all about for us – keep them coming back for more, but keep them guessing.
And…. we capped off the year with a small little piece of Bard from some of our troupe in…
TEXT | Messages
Pyramus and Thisbe from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by John Morton, performed by John Doran, Amy Dunne, Ken McGuire, John Morton and David Thompson on December 14th in Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
The people who made all of this were:
Amy Dunne, Alan Butler, Ross Costigan, Paddy Dunne, Ken McGuire, Annette O’Shea, John Morton, David Thompson, Angela Barrett, Alex Christle, Linda Hanbidge, Eddie Brennan, Lucy McKenna, Richie Cody, Geoff Warner Clayton, Louise O’Connor, Sorcha O’Boyle, Alan Slattery, Darragh Byrne, Nathanael McDonald, John Kennedy, Eleanor Walsh, Peter O’Connor, Ruth Phelan, Jessica Walsh, Colin O’Brien, Rhian Gibson, Aoibhín Murphy, Adrian ‘Razor’ Kavanagh, Connie Walsh, Alan Doyle, Shaelin Vellani, Stephanie Cassin, Aidan Doheny, Jack O’Leary, Kevin Mooney, Gemma Grant, Suzanne O’Brien, Maria Murray, Lynsey Moran, Thom Dowling, David Sheenan, John Doran, Niamh Moyles.
Also major thanks to everyone who facilitated, sponsored, programmed, funded and supported this work: Kilkenny Arts Office, Mary Butler, Niamh Finn, THEATREclub, Lara Hickey, Zia Holly, Solstice, Dawn MacAllister, Ruairí Donovan, Shirley Somers, Eszter Nemethi, Cork Midsummer Festival, Johnny Holden, Paul McCabe, Cleeres Theatre, Project Arts Centre, Maeve Butler and everyone on our friends of programme: John Cleere, Darragh Doyle, Anthony McGuiness, Enda McEvoy, Darren Byrne, Steve Aylin, Tess Felder, Gemma McGirr, Patricia Walsh, Tom and Angela Barrett and Willie Byrne. Thank you all.
While we have them namechecked above, we couldn’t have completed the year without the help from Mary Butler and Niamh Finn at Kilkenny Arts Office with the backing of Kilkenny County Council. In times when funding for arts is being cut left, right and centre, and indeed decimated in other areas, they continued their support of our company by putting a roof over our heads for six months to develop personally and professionally. Our residency gave opportunity to 44 individuals to work in a theatre space for six months of the year, to hit the road to Dublin and Cork and see what it’s like to make theatre both on and off the stage. They have been firm supporters of our work since our inception in 2006 and they continued their support after the residency finished at the beginning of July by handing us the keys for our new home at The Maltings under the Not An Empty Space initiative. While it’s up to us to pay the rent and the bills, they arranged everything for us, including the setup costs (which we must pay back) but as a result, we were able to produce works like bash and Pyramus and Thisbe for TEXT | Messages.
We’ve also stepped things up on the organisational front as well and now boast the letters LTD after our name. Check that. Boom.
Next year will see us return to the Watergate Theatre in July with a new(ish) play written by Connie Walsh and John Morton, a return to radio theatre, a prospective festival jaunt, John Kennedy scribbling a new play and a crash course play clinic with the wonderful people in Fishamble. More elaborations on all that and a lot more besides will follow as we kick off 2012. And again, hopefully all will be well.
So from ourselves (Angela, John, Ken, Paddy), our thanks again to everyone who made our 2011 possible. As much as we make theatre for ourselves, we do it for you too and it is you who drive us to continue to make more. Have yerselves a deadly Christmas, enjoy the time off and we’ll see you again in the New Year.
We had a grand old week in Dublin last week performing as part of TEXT | Messages in the Project Arts Centre.
In fact, the entire event was an absolute blast and even though we missed the last night of performances for different reasons (work, weddings, illness and hangovers) everything we managed to watch and partake in was a massive joy.
We hit the stage early on Wednesday night with our rather cheeky adaptation of Pyramus and Thisbe from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which pretty much meant we could just about stage an entire ‘play’ in the 160 line limit. It really helped that we were on first as we could indulge in our ‘warm up’ routine as the audience were coming in. Thus, they and ourselves were sufficiently limber for the cascade of ham, flubs, miscues and overwrought death scenes that we foisted upon them for the next 20 minutes.
The reaction to the piece was lovely and everybody was ever so nice to us about it which resulted in some great feedback. And yes, everything we said was genuine Shakespeare… even if we did adapt his words into some modern pop songs. Hearty thanks to curators Lara Hickey, Aoife Spillane-Hinks, Megan Riordan and Conor Hanratty for all their help and support and to all the folks in Irish Theatre Institute and the Project Arts Centre for their hospitality. TEXT | Messages was a really exciting project to work on and it would be great to see more Bard tackling of its like in the future.
We’ll be back tomorrow with our wrap up of 2011. It was a damn busy year. Lotsa recapping to be done.
We’re delighted to be taking part in an exciting new initiative kicking off tomorrow night in Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
TEXT | Messages sees nine emerging directors tackle 160 lines of Shakespeare in no more than 20 minutes. It takes place over three nights with three directors presenting their work per night. The project has been curated and produced by Conor Hanratty, Aoife Spillane-Hinks, Lara Hickey and Megan Riordan. One of our lot, John Morton, is going to be one of the nine directors taking part in the project along with Edwina Casey, Conor Hanratty, Jose Miguel Jimenez, Sophie Motley, Oonagh Murphy, Aonghus Óg McAnally, Aoife Spillane-Hinks and Lianne O’Shea. Altogether there are 48 people working on this exciting new project over the next three nights. Shakespeare bitches, but not as you know it.
On our front, John’s contribution is of course, Devious centric, featuring a great number of our regular troupe. He will be joined by John Doran, Amy Dunne, Ken McGuire and David Thompson for what is going to be a very streamlined version of Pyramus and Thisbe, the disastrous play within a play that is performed during A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Devious troupe will be performing on Wednesday December 14th along with pieces from Aoife Spillane-Hinks and Aonghus Óg McAnally. The kick off time is 8.15pm, tickets are only €5 and available from the Project Arts Centre website.
This is the first time we’ve tackled any Shakespeare since our battle rap Shakespeare In Bits back in 2009 and it’s real nice to mess with the Bard again. It’s a great pleasure for us to be involved with some many talented peeps and it’s going to be fitting finale to what’s been our most productive year to date. So if you’re in the Dublin vicinity, get thee to the Project Arts Centre for what’s going to be a fantastic piece of theatre. And there’s also some romance and a bit with a dog.
TEXT | Messages opens tomorrow night Tuesday December 13th and runs until Thursday December 14th in Project Arts Centre.
One of our regular troupe and sometimes company photographer, Mr. Ross Costigan is launching his first photgraphic exhibition this week. Considering his background in theatre and film, it’s quite aptly theatrically cinematic.
Entitled Coming Soon, it’s a selection of fake movie posters set around various Kilkenny locales and features a spread of our acting ensemble including Jack O’Leary, Aoibhín Murphy, Alex Christle, Ruth Phelan, John Morton, Ken McGuire and one upcoming one called Brendan Corcoran (more on that later in the week).
The launch is Thursday December 8th in the upstairs gallery of The Watergate Theatreat 7.30pm. Come along for the popcorn and the visual treats. The launch later moves across the road to Cleeres for a night of movie soundtrack goodness from The All Time DJ’s.
Coming Soon runs upstairs in the Watergate Theatre until January 13th.
The following review appeared in ‘Encore’ as part of The Munster Express, week-ending Friday October 28th 2011. Online subscribers can access the review here. The review is written by Liam Murphy who was in attendance on the opening night of the production.
Devious Theatre Company, Kilkenny took another positive step towards recognition as a professional theatre company with a stunning production at Cleere’s Theatre, of the controversial Bash: Latterday Plays by Neil Labute. This is a play, because of the subject matter of its three sections caused the author to be excommunicated from the Church of the Latterday Saints. These plays are meant to evoke revulsion and admiration and this company repelled me with the presentation of evil in a cruel, indifferent world and impressed me with strong, searing acting in a small intimate space, where you had to engage with the horror onstage or look away.
Based loosely on aspects of the cruelty and inhumanity contained in Greek theatre, these three pieces, two monologues and a dialogue took more ability than just nerve to do something shocking and controversial.
In Iphigenia in Orem, John Morton confronts his audience with a confessional admission that he stood back and allowed his baby, an infant, to smother beneath a duvet or comforter as American’s say. His explanation of this horrible act had a chilling rationality to it and it was a feat of acting and directing by Ken McGuire.
McGuire partnered Amy Dunne in A Gaggle Of Saints where he describes how his friends go up to the city for a bash or party, follow a gay man and beat him to death, steal his ring and present it to his fiancé, Dunne. The counterpoint of their cross purpose dialogue is a wonderful testament to fine acting and spot on direction from Annette O’Shea.
John Morton directed the final piece, Medea Redux, where a tearful O’Shea recalls being seduced by a teacher and giving birth to a fine baby boy. In an unspeakable act of revenge and cruelty she kills the son to make a point to the smug teacher who rejected her.
This was a difficult performance and Annette O’Shea riveted the audience with an awesome performance where I just could not avert my eyes and such was the shock at the heart of this play that I found it hard to applaud at the end.
Why the Arts Council has not granted-aided this company to become a professional theatre is an indictment of the reductive trend many subsidized organizations are pursuing with difficult diligence.
Bash ran from October 17th – 22nd 2011 in Cleeres Theatre, Kilkenny.
As part of this years Rockfall festival, we’re screening Shiftingtonight in Cleeres Theatre at 8pm.
If you didn’t see the play during it’s April 18th – 23rd run then this will be a nice way to see it again. Albeit, on a big screen. Entry is €5 and all proceeds go to Enable Ireland, like all events that will be taking place over Rockfall. John Kennedy‘s Kilkenny based comedy will be screened along with a trailer and a behind the scenes featurette. The show played to packed houses and received widespread positive reviews during its run including this blurb from Liam Murphy of The Munster Express:
‘Part of me is thinking I’ve seen it all before, nothing new in this genre. But was I mistaken. Such is the ability of this young ensemble that I was taken into their world and shifted in the sense of having my preconceptions challenged.’
KilkennyMusic.comwill be handling proceedings for the rest of the night with a gig from white hot local boys Alka Jessie and Rescue Remedy headlining the event.
The entire night is €5 and all proceeds are going to a much worthy cause. This is our fourth year contributing to Rockfall after performances of Heart Shaped Vinyl in 2007, Shakespeare In Bits in 2009 and a screening of Trainspotting in 2008 and it’s something we’re delighted to partake in.
Come along for what should be one of our best parties of the year!
The following is the Kilkenny People review of Bash by Tess Felder. It was published online on 19th October.
It was a pleasant surprise to turn up to a horror-tinged play to find warm, cushioned seats in Cleere’s Theatre on Tuesday evening, but such is the star treatment to be expected from Devious Theatre Company – as if to cushion the blow for the difficult subject matter to follow.
Bash: Latterday Plays, which they are presenting nightly until Saturday, is a series of three one-act plays, starting with the extended monologue Iphigenia in Orem performed by John Morton. In this confessional-type tale, an average office worker in middle management, with an average tie and an average haircut and an average life, unfolds a burdensome secret.
A Gaggle of Saints then sees Ken McGuire and Amy Dunne as a college couple who travel from Boston to New York for an unforgettable party, followed by an expertly disturbed Annette O’Shea in Medea: Redux.
With each tale more disturbing than the last, the actors had the audience hanging on their every word, the intimate setting and the directness of their delivery captivating from start to finish.
“I’ve gone off the path here … somehow,” John’s character says at one stage – and this is the common thread of the three works, that any of us could find ourselves off the path at some stage, not knowing whether we’ll find our way back.
It could happen to anyone, for these are all ordinary people, and it’s a truly extraordinary performance from Devious Theatre.
With previous productions they have shown their ability to be fun and vibrant and larger than life, and in this case they are showing their more serious side. It’s a side they clearly have the talent and desire to explore further in future shows.
They may be venturing onto another path, but they’re certainly leading the way.
AT TIME OF writing we’re about 9 hours away from lights up on the third night of bash: latterday plays at Cleere’s Theatre. The past two nights have been fantastic – both for us as performers and from an audience reaction point of view, particularly to a body of work that is rather heavy and dark. While it will be a week or so before we see anything about the play in the papers, we thought we’d share some of the comments that our best critics – our audience – have been saying over the past two days.
These comments have been gathered from our Facebook profile, bash: latterday plays events page and comments left to actors within the show. If you’ve been to see the show and want to pass a comment, leave it in the box below, head over to Devious Theatre on Facebook or drop an email to info@devioustheatre.com.
The Audience on bash:latterday plays
“Yet again Devious Theatre prove themselves as an amazingly talented group…if you get a chance over the coming week check out their most recent production,three horror stories of everyday evil….BASH- LATTERDAY PLAYS by Neil Labute.”
“excellent show you guys (ha ha!!) really enjoyed it! I’ll be sleeping with the light on, scary!”
“I’m terrified yet kinda satisfied at the same time? Well done, everyone, that completely blew me away!”
“All I can say is wow… Well done!”
“Immensely powerful performance!! Really well done!”
“Devious Theatre’s ‘Bash’ is the Feel Bad Hit of the Winter which you have to see.”
“Thanks to bash: latterday plays, I will be checking on my kids every 5 minutes tonight, just to see if they’re still alive… What an amazing show”
“Amazing work. I felt revulsion and admiration…”
“You will leave Bash groping, overwhelmed and with the need to experience the better side of humanity”
“Devious theatres latest production in cleeres is incredible. Amazing sustained performances. We are so lucky in this small city to have such talent.”
Getting Tickets
If these comments do anything for you then don’t wait around to get tickets. Online sales for tonight (Wednesday) have stopped so it’s tickets at the venue only (you can ring and reserve on 056 7762573). Tickets are available online for Thursday, Friday and Saturday but in typical fashion now as with our previous shows, it looks like we’ll have to suspend online ticket sales early as demand in the venue, including post-show ticket sales for subsequent nights has been great.
Thanks so much to all who have come out in the past two nights, we’ve still got four performances to go and we’re looking forward to each and every one of them.
Our production of bash: latterday plays by Neil LaBute opens tonight in Cleeres Theatre.
After a whirlwind couple of weeks of rehearsals we’ve arrived here in Cleeres Theatre to open up proceedings. We’ve been teching all morning, sorting out the seats and testing our soundscape. It’s all coming together really well and as an added bonus we’ve just stocked up on Cleeres homemade chorizo and tomato soup. We’ll be well sorted for the evening.
We’ll be opening the doors tonight at 7.40 and will be starting the show absolutely dead on at 8pm. So if you’re thinking of running late, please try not to as we won’t be able to let you in until the second play. The running order for the play is iphigenia in orem, a gaggle of saints and then we’ll finish with medea redux after the interval. We hope we’ll see you there! Tickets are starting to fly out and we’re confident that we’re going to deliver something a little different again. bash will run until this Saturday night, October 22nd at 8pm nightly. You can book tickets in Cleeres on 056 – 7762573 and online here.
A happy new year to you all…
