Irish Rep Extends Defender of the Faith to April 29

The Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) has extended its production of the American premiere of Defender of the Faith by Stuart Carolan to April 29th.  Ciarán O'Reilly directs the play, which began performances on March 1st and opened March 8th.

The play, according to Irish Rep notes, is a "thriller set in 1980's Northern Ireland.  Secret IRA operations have been compromised and the unthinkable is afoot; an informer is suspected to be operating secretly in the midst of a close knit family. A sinister IRA investigator arrives and his terrifying "investigations" begin to gnaw away at the edges of a fierce familial loyalty.  Five years after the celebrated 1981 hunger strikes and in the midst of the paranoia surrounding informers in the Irish Republican movement, the family faces a turning point. The end result makes for a heart-stopping theatrical experience."

Defender of the Faith, Stuart Carolan's first play, was produced at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 2004 where it opened to huge acclaim and won the prestigious  George Devine Award for most promising playwright.   Carolan's most recent play, Empress of India, was produced at the Abbey in 2006 under the direction of Tony Winner, Garry Hynes. Carolan lives and works in Dublin.

The cast features Matt Ball, Marc Aden Gray, Luke Kirby, David Lansbury, Anto Nolan, and Peter Rogan. 

Set design by Charlie Corcoran, light design by Brian Nason, costume design by Martha Hally, sound design by Zachary Williamson, dialects are by Stephen Gabis, and casting by Laura Maxwell-Scott.

Defender of the Faith was first presented at The Irish Rep as part of its ongoing New Works Reading Series in March 2006 helmed by Kara Manning, Literary Manager.  
 
Performances are: Tuesday - Saturday at 8 PM.  Matinees are Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 3 PM.  Tickets are $60 and $55 and can be purchased by calling The Irish Repertory Theatre Box Office at (212) 727-2737.  The play contains mature language and subject matter and is not intended for young audiences. For more information, call (212) 727-2737 or visit www.irishrep.org.