Fishamble to Present British Premiere of 'Rank' at Tricycle Theatre

Fishamble’s Artistic Director, Jim Culleton, will direct the British premiere of Robert Masishamble’s Artistic Director, Jim Culleton, will direct the British premiere of Robert Massey’s Rank running at the Tricycle from 3 November until 22 November with press night on 5 November.  Set and costume design is by Blaithin Sheerin, with lighting design by Mark Galione and sound design by Ivan Birthistle and Vincent Doherty.   Rank, the fifth production that Fishamble has brought to the Tricycle, begins its North London run following its world premiere at The Helix as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, and a brief run at the Civic Theatre Tallaght.

In the harsh world of grifting, gambling and getting by, two taxi-drivers face the toughest choice of their lives. One wrong turn of the cards and this time there’s no way back. Rank, by Irish playwright Robert Massey, is a darkly comic thriller, where loyalty, trust and friendship are just more chips to be thrown on the table.  Take a trip through the grim, seething and sometimes hilarious criminal world of the north Dublin suburbs.

Robert Massey has written three plays:  Deadline, Over and Out and Rank.  Deadline was developed as part of the Playtalk programme at The Abbey Theatre and produced by Lane Productions at Andrews Lane Studio in February 2006 transferring to Andrew Lane Theatre in April that year.  Over and Out was also produced by Lane Productions, opening at the Civic Theatre Tallaght in May 2008 before a nationwide Irish tour.

The cast is Luke Griffin (Fred Farrell), Eamonn Hunt (George Kelly), Alan King (Carl Conway), John Lynn (‘Two in the Bush’) and BRyan Murray (Jack Farrell).

Luke Griffin’s stage credits include Moving, Drama At Inish, On The Outside and Made in China all for The Abbey Theatre and The Lieutenant of Inishmore for the Garrick Theatre.  His screen credits include Band of Brothers for HBO and Pure Mule for RTE.

Eamonn Hunt was last at the Tricycle Theatre in The Kings Of the Kilburn High Road.  His other theatre credits include Antigone, The Burial at Thebes and Homeland all for The Abbey Theatre.  His screen credits include The Running Mate, Holby City.  On film his credits include Anne Devlin, Hard Shoulder and Snakes and Ladders.

Alan King’s stage credits include Studs for the Tricycle Theatre and The Tivoli Theatre, Buddleia for the Donmar Warehouse, Danti-Dan for Hampstead Theatre.  His screen credits include Rough Diamond and Custer’s Last Stand Up for the BBC and numerous shows for RTE.

John Lynn’s stage credits include Robert Massey’s Deadline and Stages for the Civic Theatre.  On screen he appeared in Be More Ethnic and One Night Stand for BBC3 and he will be in the forthcoming film Satellites and Meteorites due for release in 2009.  John Lynn also performs as a stand-up comedian and recently returned from the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.

 BRyan Murray has performed on stage in many productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and at The National Theatre.  He is best known for his screen roles including Fitz in Strumpet City, Flurry Knox in The Irish RM, Shifty in Bread, Harry Cassidy in Perfect Scoundrels, Trevor Jordache in Brookside and Bob Charles in Fair City.  He has also presented Knock Knock and Umbrella for the BBC.

Jim Culleton is the Artistic Director for Fishamble:  The New Play Company, and has most recently directed  Sebastian Barry’s The Pride of Parnell Street – which ran at the Tricycle Theatre in 2007 and went on tour to France, Germany and the US.  His other credits include Noah and the Tower Flower, which won the Stewart Parker Trust Awards and Irish Times Theatre Award for Best New Play in 2007, Forgotten, which toured the UK, Paris, Prague, Sibiu and Edinburgh, Whereabouts which won the Irish Times Special Judge’s Award and Monged which toured nationally and as a staged reading in New York.

This year Fishamble:  The New Play Company is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The Company, founded in 1988, has since 1990 has been dedicated to the discovery, development and production of new work for the Irish stage.  Fishamble’s passionate commitment to new plays and new approaches to creating theatre has been demonstrated through 20 years of production and innovation.
sey’s Rank running at the Tricycle from 3 November until 22 November with press night on 5 November.  Set and costume design is by Blaithin Sheerin, with lighting design by Mark Galione and sound design by Ivan Birthistle and Vincent Doherty.   Rank, the fifth production that Fishamble has brought to the Tricycle, begins its North London run following its world premiere at The Helix as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, and a brief run at the Civic Theatre Tallaght.

In the harsh world of grifting, gambling and getting by, two taxi-drivers face the toughest choice of their lives. One wrong turn of the cards and this time there’s no way back. Rank, by Irish playwright Robert Massey, is a darkly comic thriller, where loyalty, trust and friendship are just more chips to be thrown on the table.  Take a trip through the grim, seething and sometimes hilarious criminal world of the north Dublin suburbs.

Robert Massey has written three plays:  Deadline, Over and Out and Rank.  Deadline was developed as part of the Playtalk programme at The Abbey Theatre and produced by Lane Productions at Andrews Lane Studio in February 2006 transferring to Andrew Lane Theatre in April that year.  Over and Out was also produced by Lane Productions, opening at the Civic Theatre Tallaght in May 2008 before a nationwide Irish tour.

The cast is Luke Griffin (Fred Farrell), Eamonn Hunt (George Kelly), Alan King (Carl Conway), John Lynn (‘Two in the Bush’) and BRyan Murray (Jack Farrell).

Luke Griffin’s stage credits include Moving, Drama At Inish, On The Outside and Made in China all for The Abbey Theatre and The Lieutenant of Inishmore for the Garrick Theatre.  His screen credits include Band of Brothers for HBO and Pure Mule for RTE.

Eamonn Hunt was last at the Tricycle Theatre in The Kings Of the Kilburn High Road.  His other theatre credits include Antigone, The Burial at Thebes and Homeland all for The Abbey Theatre.  His screen credits include The Running Mate, Holby City.  On film his credits include Anne Devlin, Hard Shoulder and Snakes and Ladders.

Alan King’s stage credits include Studs for the Tricycle Theatre and The Tivoli Theatre, Buddleia for the Donmar Warehouse, Danti-Dan for Hampstead Theatre.  His screen credits include Rough Diamond and Custer’s Last Stand Up for the BBC and numerous shows for RTE.

John Lynn’s stage credits include Robert Massey’s Deadline and Stages for the Civic Theatre.  On screen he appeared in Be More Ethnic and One Night Stand for BBC3 and he will be in the forthcoming film Satellites and Meteorites due for release in 2009.  John Lynn also performs as a stand-up comedian and recently returned from the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.

BRyan Murray has performed on stage in many productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and at The National Theatre.  He is best known for his screen roles including Fitz in Strumpet City, Flurry Knox in The Irish RM, Shifty in Bread, Harry Cassidy in Perfect Scoundrels, Trevor Jordache in Brookside and Bob Charles in Fair City.  He has also presented Knock Knock and Umbrella for the BBC.

Jim Culleton is the Artistic Director for Fishamble:  The New Play Company, and has most recently directed  Sebastian Barry’s The Pride of Parnell Street – which ran at the Tricycle Theatre in 2007 and went on tour to France, Germany and the US.  His other credits include Noah and the Tower Flower, which won the Stewart Parker Trust Awards and Irish Times Theatre Award for Best New Play in 2007, Forgotten, which toured the UK, Paris, Prague, Sibiu and Edinburgh, Whereabouts which won the Irish Times Special Judge’s Award and Monged which toured nationally and as a staged reading in New York.

This year Fishamble:  The New Play Company is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The Company, founded in 1988, has since 1990 has been dedicated to the discovery, development and production of new work for the Irish stage.  Fishamble’s passionate commitment to new plays and new approaches to creating theatre has been demonstrated through 20 years of production and innovation.

To post a comment, you must register and login.