MY SCANDALOUS LIFE set for Irish Rep, Previews 2/2

Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) continues its 23rd Season with the world premiere of MY SCANDALOUS LIFE by Irish playwright and novelist Thomas Kilroy (author of the award-winning novel "The Big Chapel"), set to begin previews in the company's downstairs W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre on February 2, prior to its official press opening February 6 (running through March 6). John Going (who helmed HIZZONER! on Broadway) directs.

Set in 1944 in the middle of the Second World War, MY SCANDALOUS LIFE tells the story of Lord Alfred Douglas, Oscar Wilde's beloved Bosie, who, overcome with memories of the notorious love affair that rocked England, struggles to examine the mysteries of his own identity. Forever linked to Wilde... the scandal... the violent trials which led to Wilde's imprisonment... the guilt... and the subsequent half-century he lived after Wilde, who died alone in Paris in 1900, Bosie searches for the very personal meaning of a life forever the subject of endless conjecture.

As his wife Olive lies dying upstairs, Lord Douglas displays unexpected depths of feelings, as he copes with his marriage, his memories of Oscar, and the tragic fate of his only son.

MY SCANDALOUS LIFE stars Des Keogh as Lord Alfred Douglas, with Fiana Tiobin as Eileen, an Irish maid. The production has set design by Charlie Corcoran; costume design by David Toser; lighting design by Michael O'Connor; and sound design by Zach Williamson. Michael Palmer is Production Stage Manager.

Des Keogh previously appeared at the Irish Repertory Theatre in CONFESSIONS OF AN IRISH PUBLICAN, MR. DOOLEY'S AMERICA, THE MATCHMATCHER, and THE LOVE-HUNGRY FARMER, which he also adapted from a work by playwright John B. Keane. In 2010, he portrayed the title role in Hugh Leonard's DA at the Olney Theatre in Maryland. In addition to work with major Irish and London theatre companies, he has appeared in such films as "Ryan's Daughter," "Ulysses," and "Flight of the Doves" and, for nearly 35 years, hosted the weekly RTÈ radio program "Music for Middlebrows."

Director John Going helmed the Broadway production of HIZZONER! Other New York credits include Off-Broadway productions of A BREEZE FROM THE GULF, LOLA, and ONE STEP AT A TIME. He has directed regionally and internationally at venues including Seattle Repertory, Hartford Stage, Paper Mill Playhouse and Washington's Studio Theatre, among others. A four-time Helen Hayes Award nominee, Mr. Going won the Outstanding Director Award for THE MISER at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Thomas Kilroy's plays include THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF MR. ROCHE, SEX AND SHAKESPEARE, DOUBLE CROSS, THE MADMAN MACADAM TRAVELLING THEATRE, THE SECRET FALL OF CONSTANCE WILDE, and among others, CHRIST DELIVER US!, which premiered at Dublin's Abbey Theatre in early 2010. He was a board member of Field Day Theatre Company, founded by Brian Friel and Stephen Rea, and was director of its touring company.

Co-founded by Producing Director Ciarán O'Reilly and Artistic Director Charlotte Moore, The Irish Repertory Theatre opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS. The mission of the theatre was and remains to bring works by Irish and Irish American masters and contemporary playwrights to American audiences; to provide a context for understanding the contemporary Irish American experience; and to encourage the development of new works focusing on the Irish and Irish American experience, as well as a range of other cultures.

Also playing at the Irish Repertory Theatre, as part of its 23rd Season, is the first major revival of Brian Friel's MOLLY SWEENEY, set to begin previews on the company's Francis J. Greenburger mainstage on January 19 (opening January 30 and running through March 13). Directed by Charlotte Moore, MOLLY SWEENEY features Jonathan Hogan, Geraldine Hughes and Ciarán O'Reilly.

Generous support for MY SCANDALOUS LIFE provided by Culture Ireland as part of Imagination Ireland.

Performances of MY SCANDALOUS LIFE run February 2-March 6 at The Irish Repertory Theatre's W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre (132 West 22nd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues): Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm; plus 3pm matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $30, and are available by calling 212-727-2737 or online at www.irishrep.org.

For more information about Irish Rep, call 212-727-2737, or visit www.irishrep.org

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.