Abbey Theatre Stages Three Perspectives From Northern Ireland By Jennifer Johnston

Three stories, three perspectives, all ordinary people, all caught in the middle of an extraordinary time. Three Monologues: Mustn't Forget High Noon, Christine, Twinkletoes will open on the Peacock stage at the Abbey Theatre on 22nd February. The distinct monologues were combined by iconic Irish novelist Jennifer Johnston in 1995 and give three perspectives of the landscape of Northern Ireland.

Over 100 years after the partition of Ireland and 50 years after Bloody Sunday, the Abbey Theatre explores the consequences of these events through Three Monologues. Described in The Irish Times as "one of Ireland's greatest living writers", Johnston's writing deals "with political and cultural tensions within Ireland, but more often focus on the more hidden civil war of family relationships and the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood."

Through the three interlinked stories of Billy, Christine, and Karen, these companion pieces tell the personal tragedies of victims of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

• Billy: Charlie Bonner will play Billy. A character that some might say is small minded and irreverent with bravado. Billy has lived his small life with routine and structure and is following in his father's footsteps.
• Christine: Ali White will play Christine. Married to Billy, Christine is a survivor with a quiet insistence. She is the still centre of the monologues. A woman who once had ambitions she now is apologetic and underestimates herself in every way.
• Karen: Aoibhéann McCann takes on the role of Karen. A woman in her 30's whose life was changed by the actions of others and now lives her life in limbo, longing to dance and for the life she once dreamed of.
  

In a new approach, Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin has appointed Belfast born, designer Maree Kearns as the lead artist on the production, while each monologue will be directed by one of the Abbey's new resident directors, Gea Gojak, Claire O'Reilly, and Laura Sheeran. As a theatre designer, Maree Kearns will curate the production so that each piece flows coherently and consistently from monologue to monologue, setting a visual tone for the project from the marketing imagery to stage.

"This intimate new production of Three Monologues by Jennifer Johnston is a very moving piece which delves into the personal stories behind the headlines." said Lead Artist and Designer, Maree Kearns. "It looks at the ravages the conflict wrought on the lives of ordinary people who lived through some of the most violent, turbulent times in Ireland's recent history. It encourages us to reflect on real people whose lives have been defined by decades of struggle and how those shadows try to shape the present. It's important to showcase these stories on our national stage."

Opening on 22nd February and running until 12th March , these Three Monologues: Twinkletoes, Musn't Forget High Noon, Christine will provide intense and quiet drama portraying the heartbreak of the recent history on the island of Ireland.

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