World Premiere of Mark O'Rowe's REUNION Comes to Galway International Arts Festival

Mark O'Rowe's first new play in six years will receive its world premiere from Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival.

A family gathers for a celebration on an island off the west coast of Ireland. 

When an unexpected visitor drops by, tensions begin to surface. Over the next 24 hours, scores will be settled, beliefs challenged, and truths disclosed.

Mark O'Rowe (Howie the Rookie, Intermission, Our Few and Evil Days) turns his laser focus on the deep currents of family life. 

This major new ensemble play stars a roll-call of Ireland's finest actors:

 Ian-Lloyd Anderson (Redemption, Herself, Dublin Oldschool), Cathy Belton  (Philomena, Miss Scarlett and the Duke, Ghosts), Venetia Bowe (Lost Lear, DruidGregory, Asking for It), Stephen Brennan (Somewhere Out There You, Straight to Video, the first actor to play Hamlet at the Abbey), Leonard Buckley  (Belfast, Translations, The Long Song), Simone Collins (All You Need is Death, Ghosts, The Great Gatsby), Desmond Eastwood (Blue LIghts, Normal People, Derry Girls), Valene Kane (Lady Macbeth for the RSC, The Fall, Blue Lights), 

Robert Sheehan (Klaus Hargreeves in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, Darren in Love/Hate, Withnail in Birmingham Rep's stage adaptation of Withnail and I) and Catherine Walker (six-time IFTA-nominee, My Sailor, My Love; Napoleon; House of Gucci).

This breathtaking new play runs for just 18 performances at the Black Box Theatre as part of Galway International Arts Festival from 12 July.

Mark O'Rowe, Writer and Director, said: ‘I am beyond excited to be presenting the world premiere of my new play in Galway this summer. Reunion is an ambitious and intricate family drama with a massive cast of ten, and I can't wait to start rehearsing with our extraordinary group of actors. I am also delighted to be working once again with Landmark Productions, with whom I have had a wonderful relationship over the last few years, and, for the first time, with Galway lnternational Arts Festival.'

Anne Clarke, Producer, Landmark Productions said: ‘It's been a joy to collaborate with Mark O'Rowe in recent years. From Howie the Rookie, in which Tom Vaughan-Lawlor played both Howie and Rookie, to The Approach, broadcast to 44 countries around the world as part of Landmark Live, to last year's co-production with the Abbey of his adaptation of Ghosts, Mark O'Rowe is one of Ireland's most brilliant, inventive and questioning playwrights. We are thrilled to be working with our long-term co-producing partners Galway International Arts Festival to bring this major new work to the stage.'

Paul Fahy, Artistic Director, Galway International Arts Festival said: ‘It is always a delight to work with our long-standing co-producing partners Landmark Productions, and particularly wonderful to do this year as producer Anne Clarke celebrates her company's 20th anniversary.

Mark O'Rowe is amongst our greatest playwrights with a singular, unique and original voice who also happens to be a brilliant director.  Reunion is an incredible play, beautifully written, and we look forward to working with Mark and our extraordinary cast and creative team on this new production.'

The creative team reunites O'Rowe with the brilliant designers who were responsible for last year's co-production with The Abbey Theatre of Ghosts: Francis O'Connor (set), Joan O'Clery (costume), Sinead Mckenna (lighting) and Aoife Kavanagh (sound).

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