Cast & Creatives Set For the Barn Theatre's 25th Anniversary Production of STONES IN HIS POCKETS

The cast has been announced for The Barn Theatre's 25th Anniversary production of Stones in His Pockets, the co-production with Wiltshire Creative and Octagon Theatre, Bolton. 

Stones in his Pockets will open at The Barn, Cirencester, playing from 23 August to 14 September, with a national press night on Tuesday 27 August. It will play at Salisbury Playhouse from 1 – 19 October, and Octagon Theatre Bolton from 22 October – 2 November. 

Set in rural Ireland, a small village is turned upside down when a Hollywood studio arrives to film the latest historical blockbuster – but Tinseltown's romanticised dream of Ireland is far from reality in this fresh take on the witty, award-winning comedy. 

Northern Ireland actors Shaun Blaney and Gerard McCabe will star as ‘Charlie Conlon' and ‘Jake Quinn.' 

Shaun Blaney is best-known for the critically acclaimed one man show In The Name of The Son, which toured to the Edinburgh Fringe and the Auckland theatre festival New Zealand. Shaun was nominated best actor at the Irish Theatre Awards for his portrayal of the legendary Gerry Conlon. Last year Shaun starred in two of The Stage's Top 50 shows of the year, including Cyprus Avenue (The Tron Glasgow), and Rhino (Tinderbox Belfast). Further theatre credits include Little Women (The Lyric Theatre), The Man Who Fell To Pieces (Tinderbox), Inventors (Kabosh) and Three's A Shroud (GBL). 

Gerard McCabe's stage credits include: The Threepenny Opera, What The Reindeer Saw, Smiley, Pride and Prejudice and The Jungle Book (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); The Blue Boy Glenmore (Brassneck/Lyric Theatre); Jacques Brel is Alive and Well (Lyric Theatre/Blunt Fringe); Lally the Scut, Fireworks, and Swing State Cabaret (Tinderbox); Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged, 25th Annual Spelling  Bee,  Secret  Diary  of  Adrian  Mole,  A Midsummers  Night  Dream,  and  Blue  Remembered  Hills (Bruiser Theatre Company);  iSpy  (Big  Telly);  Short  Strand  Rising  and  Henry  and  Harriot  (Kabosh Theatre Company);  Tosca  (NI  Opera);  The New  Kid  and  Sinking  (Replay Theatre Company);  The  Comedy of Errors (Belfast Th. Co); Herons, Pvt. Wars(Pintsized Productions).   

This production will be directed by Matthew McElhinney, son of the playwright Marie Jones and the play's original director Ian McElhinney, with designer Gregor Donnelly, with lighting design by Alex Musgrave, sound design and composition by Harry Smith, and Ben Collins and Alex Tabrizi on AV.  

The 25th Anniversary production, which premiered in Cirencester in summer 2021, brought an authentic rediscovery to the worldwide phenomenon, which won numerous awards including both the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best New Comedy, as well as three Tony nominations on Broadway. 

Iwan Lewis, Artistic Director of The Barn said, "The Barn Theatre's 25th anniversary production of Stones in His Pockets is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Premiering as one of our first shows post-pandemic, it later electrified the Lyric Theatre in Belfast with a sold-out run that marked a triumphant "return home" in 2022. From filming digital cameos with stars like Liam Neeson and Ciarán Hinds, to the spontaneous mid-show standing ovations, I am thrilled to bring back this extraordinary piece by Marie Jones. With the support of the Octagon Theatre Bolton and The Salisbury Playhouse, this marks an exciting future for the Barn as our productions continue to resonate across the UK. Stones has already had a rich history including runs on the West End and Broadway, but something tells me that this is just the beginning for this exceptional production.” 

Lotte Wakeham, Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre Bolton said, “We are excited to be bringing this hilarious comedy to audiences across the country in this exciting co-production and are thrilled to be working with the teams at Barn Theatre and Wiltshire Creative on what promises to be a must-see show.” 

Gareth Machin, Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative, said, “We are delighted to be working with both The Barn Theatre Cirencester and Octagon Theatre Bolton on this production of Stones in His Pockets. This is our first collaboration with The Barn Theatre and, alongside the Octagon Theatre Bolton, we are excited to join forces in bringing this powerful dramatic comedy to our stages across the country.” 

Marie Jones said, “I never thought the original magic of 'Stones in His Pockets' could be recreated. What's truly remarkable about this 25th anniversary production is that it captures all the original charm while feeling as if I wrote the play just yesterday. I'm thrilled to see 'Stones' return to the stage and am eager to follow its renewed journey." 

Since launching in 2018, the Barn Theatre has gained national recognition having produced over 20 Built by Barn shows and being awarded The Stage Awards' Best Fringe Theatre of the Year Award 2019. Last year, the theatre celebrated its fifth anniversary with a season that included world premieres of Simon Reade's adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's Waiting For Anya, Jonathan Lynn's final instalment of his classic series I'm Sorry Prime Minister, I Can't Quite Remember, as well as a reimagined revival production of the musical Once and the world premiere of a musical adaptation of Treasure Island. Recent 2024 highlights have included Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Fiend, Constellations, Midsummer, and the critically acclaimed Some Mothers Do ‘Ave Em.  

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