GÚNA NUA’S HIT SHOW LITTLE GEM IS COMING TO THE OLYMPIA THEATRE

GÚNA NUA/CIVIC THEATRE PRESENT: LITTLE GEM

After selling out in New York, London, Paris, and the Peacock, Little Gem will be at the Olympia Theatre for ten performances from August 26-September 4. To book tickets for this outstanding production, please visit Ticket Master or call the Olympia box office at (+353) 1 6793323.

WINNER: CAROL TAMBOR BEST OF EDINBURGH AWARD – EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL 2009

‘Little Gem delivers on the promise of its title.’
Lucy Powell, The Times (UK)

‘So engagingly written that it is hard to resist.’
Sarah Hemming, The Financial Times (UK)

‘[Murphy] is an exhilarating new talent.’
Michael Coveney, The Independent (UK)

‘Intimately told and beautifully acted.’
Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

GÚNA NUA ANNOUNCES THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CHICANE THIS AUTUMN

CIVIC THEATRE AND GÚNA NUA
in association with Draoicht Arts Centre, Everyman Palace and Belltable present: CHICANE

From the award-winning company that took Little Gem around the world comes an explosive thriller written by Anthony Brophy, one of Ireland’s finest actors. Chicane is a fast-paced comedy and thriller that promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Chicane details an evening with Robert, a successful Dublin lawyer, who is working late in his office while Ray, the cleaner, is tidying up.  They chat about golf, football and the weather but both have dark secrets and when Julia, Robert’s girlfriend, arrives on the scene those secrets are revealed in the most surprising and shocking way. Chicane will tour Ireland this autumn.

Blanchardstown, Draiocht: 6/9-11/9, Box office:  (01) 885 2622
Cork, Everyman Palace Theatre: 13/9-18/9, Box office: (021) 450 1673
Tallaght, Civic Theatre: 20/9-25/9, Box office: (01) 4627477
Limerick, Belltable: 27/9-2/10, Box office: (061) 319866
Dundrum, The Mill Theatre: 4/10-9/10, Box office: (01) 296 9340

ABSOLUTION WILL PERFORM AT 59E59 THEATERS IN NEW YORK AS PART OF THE 1ST IRISH FESTIVAL

Gúna Nua is proud to announce that Absolution, a one-act play written by and starring Owen O’Neill, will head to New York as part of the annual 1st Irish Festival. Directed by Rachel O’Riordan, Absolution deals with the controversial issue of clerical sex abuse as it follows the violent deaths of five Catholic priests. Absolution received overwhelmingly positive reviews at the Edinburgh Festival 2008, and will run at 59E59 Theaters in Manhattan from September 8-October 3. To learn more, visit the 1st Irish Festival website and 59E59 Theaters website.

Owen O'Neill

“Absolution held every member of a packed house enthralled and eager to hear what happens next to an unnamed protagonist.”
Philip Fisher, British Theatre Guide, 06/08/08

“Upon leaving the theatre, I overheard an audience member tell his partner ‘Every festival, there’s always ‘The One!” With its intelligence, highly literate script, compelling performance, and blatant challenge to the audience, Absolution may in fact be this year’s ‘One.’”
Michael Cox, On Stage Scotland, 13/08/08

LITTLE GEM A HIT IN LONDON

LITTLE GEM packed houses and received great critical response during its run at the Bush Theatre.  Congratulations to our great London cast of Amelia Crowley, Sarah Greene and Anita Reeves, and thanks to the great team at The Bush for making Little Gem so welcome.

You can view the Bush production album of the show here and check out video of the audience reaction below.

GÚNA NUA AND FOCUS IRELAND DEVELOP FORUM THEATRE PIECE

Gúna Nua in association with Focus Ireland are developing a Forum Theatre piece for the customers of Focus Ireland. With writers Gerry McCann and Jennifer O’Dea who have both trained with Cardboard Citizens Theatre company in England Gúna Nua will create two short plays that reflect issues of homelessness. Funded by CREATE this project is the beginning of a dialogue with people who are homeless. Inspired by their lives these Forum Theatre pieces will give them an opportunity to challenge and change the stories and myths surrounding homelessness. Gúna Nua will continue to share its expertise with agencies like Focus Ireland in 2010.

IN SKAGWAY

Actor and Writer Karen Ardiff

Gúna Nua has commissioned actor and novelist Karen Ardiff to write a new play for the company. Karen is a regular perfomer with Gúna Nua, The Abbey, The Gate and many other theatres around Ireland. She is also one of the finest new voices in Irish writing. Her debut novel The Secret of My Face was acclaimed by the critics. As Hugh Leonard put it writing in the Sunday Independent, ‘Karen Ardiff’s book is an astonishing debut. It is unpredictable and – towards the end shocking. I put it down in tears.’ Karen’s play will tell the story of 2 Irish women and their experiences of emigration in America in the 19th Century. As related by 3 performers In Skagway is the picaresque journey of the women from a famine ship, through the American civil war to the Gold Rush and the Klondike.

CHICANE

In December Gúna Nua presented a public reading of a new play by another Gúna Nua actor, Anthony Brophy, in the new laboratory space at the Gate Theatre. In a classic noir thriller set-up, Chicane mixes a big secret and a desperate cover-up, and is served up with kidnap, torture, murder and heartbreak. With Owen Roe, Michael MacElhatton and Kate Brennan, Brophy’s new play is an explosive examination of our social divides and the corruption and chicanery that keeps them in place. This is a play that does exactly what it says on the tin and takes you on a journey with so many twists you’ll never find your way home again.

Gúna Nua is delighted to help with the development of two of the most promising voices in Irish Theatre.

BEGOTTEN NOT MADE

In June of last year Artistic Director of Gúna Nua Paul Meade (pictured here with Michelle McNaughton and President McAleese) was awarded the Jim McNaughton/Tilestyle Bursary of €10,000 for his play Begotten Not Made. Originally commissioned by the Irish Council for BioEthics (in association with Fishamble Theatre Company) to write this play dealing with the issues and problems of bioethics. Gúna Nua are working to produce this play with its partners in 2010. The latest draft of the script received public readings at Farmleigh, The Irish Law Society and in the houses of The Oirechtas in 2009.

You can read more about Begotten Not Made here

THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

In order to do what we do we need your support.

Enda Kilroy in Meltdown

Like all arts organisations we are a registered charity and receive a public subsidy from the Arts Council that covers roughly one third of the cost of our work. For us to continue to develop, create and produce the range of work that we do, we need to match that funding euro for euro.

So, let’s be friends.

Your support will make a real difference to the quality and quantity of the shows we produce and to our ability to present those shows nationally and internationally, and in return you get to enjoy a range of special benefits.

You can become a Friend yourself or you can give membership of our Friends scheme as a gift. You can join now, on our website. So click here to check out the full details

Remember becoming a friend is tax deductible and everything you donate will go toward the cost of our productions.

SCENES FROM A WATERCOOLER AND OTHER TALES

As part of our 10th Anniversary Celebrations, we officially launched Gúna Nua’s Collected Plays. The collection, published by Liberties Press, was given a momentous and very funny baptism by the incorrigible Gerry Stembridge. As he put it, “if you want to know what it felt like to live through the years of The Cetic Tiger, then this collection has it all”.

SCENES FROM A WATERCOOLER AND OTHER TALES is a great Gift for that theatre loving friend and is available from our website.