Our Artistic Director, Brian Merriman, is bringing some Irish culture to the London stage after our successful fundraising pub quiz in November. From 14 till 18 April, people can go see three plays presented by previous editions of the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival at the Cockpit Theatre in London. Get your tickets here.
Party Boy, by Brian Merriman
Party Boy, an explosive new play based on the true story of Ireland’s first gay go-go boy, will storm onto The Cockpit stage as part of its consent and taboo series in April. Set in contemporary multicultural Ireland, we are taken on a high energy trip through Patrick’s roller coaster life as he evolves from Catholic schoolboy to ‘start my life…’ And what a life he leads: from naked photo shoots in Australia to live sex shows on the European go-go circuit, Patrick sheds all his Irish inhibitions in a no-holds-barred exposé of life through decriminalisation, marriage equality, love, drugs, violence, and exploitation. ‘Dave Flynn’s rendition of the party boy himself is, quite simply, electrifying,’ Dr Kerric Harvey review USA. Â
Meet the women in his life: ‘Maria Blaney brings on stage the Irish mammy we all wish we had’ (review: No More Workhorse) and a dozen characters who Patrick encounters on his life-changing journey. The 48 men in Patrick’s chaotic life are played by Colin Malone. ‘Malone is, quite literally, astonishing in his range and elasticity, moving from one persona to another with effortless ease and absolute authenticity,’ (KH, USA).
Written by the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival’s founder/Artistic Director, Brian Merriman, this ‘kaleidoscopic 75-minute epic, ‘Party Boy’ is more than just a peep show into the contemporary world of the gay male porn industry, with all of its glamour, heartache, and lethal drug scene. It’s also a whirlwind journey through some of modern Ireland’s most complicated social issues, beginning with the historically repressive influence of the Catholic Church on, well, everybody, continuing on through the heady and tumultuous years of the Celtic Tiger, and venturing into Ireland’s vaguely uncertain future as the EU re-invents itself and the island struggles with related complexities arising from immigration, patchy economic stability, rapid social change, and escalating internationalism,’ (KH, USA) .
Calamity Jane Sends a Message to Her Daughter, by Carolyn Cage
To add some international flavour to our London showcase, the IDGTF presents Calamity Jane Sends a Message to Her Daughter by award-winning US playwright Carolyn Gage. Starring Maria Blaney as Calam a woman equal amongst men who knows much more.
The Off Switch, by Brian Merriman
Originally presented as part of a double bill with another of Brian Merriman’s shorts, The Second Miracle, The Off Switch tells the story of a young man (played by Conor Burke) born in a time where it was better to ‘switch off’ than to hope for a relationship. who considers what would LGBT rights campaigner Mark Ashton and his contemporaries make of this modern gay world they campaigned to liberate.
Party Boy and The Off Switch feature alongside eight other short plays in Brian Merriman’s 10 HISstories. Click here to buy the book!
See you in London!
