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Stones in His Pockets

Published Wednesday 2 February 2005 at 15:25 by Anne Broom

Revealing a microcosm of humanity at the heart of this funny and frequently very moving play, director David Bownes foregrounds the inventive skills of his two actors in Marie Jones’ warm-hearted Irish tale.

Tightly played and generally maintaining good pace, as aspiring film stars Charlie and Jake, Martin Jenkins and Christopher Patrick Nolan each employ finely honed technique that, coupled with intelligent observation and precision timing, brings a host of off-beat characters vividly to life.

Opening moments that catapult audiences into the world of cinema, advertisement voiceovers get the audience laughing early. Designer Jack Kirwan sets a serried and symbolic line of boots and shoes against a film strip skyscape of rural County Kerry, a single prop box serving as table, chair or coffin.

As extras clamour to be in a Hollywood movie filming on location in rural Ireland the additional characters - old local Mickey, drug addict Sean, security heavy Jock, simpering production assistant Aisling and Caroline, the film’s glamorous and ruthless star - may only be delineated by a move or gesture but each is nonetheless well-rounded and clearly realised.

Among many glorious moments, Jake’s seduction by the languorous Caroline to enhance her dialect skills, a film ‘take’ that relies on split-second timing for a horse-riding sequence and a lively dance where idiosyncratic characters appear to fill the stage, stand out. As the play winds to a finale, anger and disillusionment set in but when their humour returns, it is not only Charlie and Jake who are left in a mood of up-beat optimism.

Production information

By:
Marie Jones
Management:
Mark Goucher in association with Paul Elliott, Adam Kenwright and Pat Moylan
Director:
David Bownes
Design:
Jack Kirwan
Lighting:
Graham McLusky
Run time:
2hr 10mins

Production information can change over the run of the show.

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Run sheet

Artsdepot London
January 13-15 2005
Northcott Exeter
January 28-29 2005
Royal and Derngate, Derngate Northampton
January 31 2005
Norden Farm Maidenhead
February 1 2005
Capitol Horsham
February 2- 3 2005
Marina Lowestoft
February 4 2005
Broadway Barking
February 5 2005
Corn Exchange Newbury
February 8- 9 2005
Lowry Salford
February 10-12 2005
Gordon Craig Stevenage
February 14 2005
Auditorium Grimsby
February 15 2005
Opera House Buxton
February 16 2005
Pyramid and Parr Hall Warrington
February 17 2005
Gatehouse Stafford
February 18 2005
Regal Centre Worksop
February 19 2005
Arts Centre Stamford
February 21 2005
Fairfield Halls, Concert Hall Croydon
February 22 2005
Elgiva Chesham
February 23 2005
Point Eastleigh
February 24-25 2005
Pavilion Bournemouth
February 26 2005
Harlequin Redhill
March 1 2005
Wyvern Swindon
March 2 2005
Pavilion Worthing
March 3 2005
Queen's Barnstaple
March 4- 5 2005
Everyman Cheltenham
March 7- 9 2005
Bedford School Bedford
March 10 2005
Blackfriars Arts Centre Boston
March 11-12 2005
Corn Exchange King's Lynn
March 14 2005
Mill Arts Centre Banbury
March 15-16 2005
Alban Arena St Albans
March 17-18 2005
Guildhall Arts Centre Grantham
March 19 2005
Yvonne Arnaud Guildford
March 21-26 2005
City Varieties Leeds
April 6 2005
New Cambridge Southport
April 7- 9 2005
Arts Complex Solihull
April 12 2005
Beck Hayes
April 13 2005
Music Hall Shrewsbury
April 14 2005
Princes Hall Aldershot
April 15 2005
Charter Preston
April 16 2005
Customs House South Shields
April 18 2005
Grand Swansea
April 20 2005
Quay Arts Newport Harbour, Isle of Wight
April 21 2005
Uppingham Theatre Oakham
April 22-23 2005
Theatre Royal Wakefield
April 25-27 2005
Middlesbrough Theatre Middlesbrough
April 28 2005
Grand Opera House York
April 29 2005
Town Hall Loughborough
April 30 2005
Gala Durham
May 3- 7 2005
Churchill Bromley
May 9-11 2005
Swan High Wycombe
May 12-13 2005
White Rock Hastings
May 14 2005
Regent Stoke-on-Trent
May 16-18 2005
Coliseum Aberdare
May 19 2005
Arts Centre Radlett
May 20 2005
Subscription Rooms Stroud
May 21 2005
Swan Worcester
May 26 2005
Mac Birmingham
May 27 2005
Torch Milford Haven
May 28 2005
Theatre Royal Brighton
May 30-June 1 2005
New Oxford
June 2 2005
Riverfront Newport
June 3 2005
Playhouse Epsom
June 4 2005
Everyman Liverpool
June 6-11 2005
Harrogate Theatre Harrogate
June 21-25 2005
King's Edinburgh
September 30-October 8 2005
Gaiety Ayr
October 11-15 2005
King's Glasgow
October 31-November 5 2005
Repertory Dundee
November 9-12 2005
Millennium Forum Derry
October 16-21 2006
Grand Opera House Belfast
October 23-28 2006
Capitol Horsham
January 22-24 2009
Plaza Stockport
January 27 2009
Palace Southend-on-Sea
January 29-30 2009
Town Hall Loughborough
February 2 2009
Garrick Lichfield
February 5- 6 2009
Grand Swansea
February 9 2009
Palace Watford
February 11-14 2009
Playhouse Epsom
February 24-25 2009
Beck Hayes
March 2 2009
Middlesbrough Theatre Middlesbrough
March 5 2009
Theatre Royal Winchester
March 12-14 2009
Elgiva Chesham
March 17 2009
Opera House Buxton
March 19 2009
Empire Consett
March 20 2009
Castle Wellingborough
March 21 2009
Theatre Royal Bath
March 22 2009
Northcott Exeter
March 24-28 2009
Brewhouse Taunton
April 2- 4 2009
Regent Stoke-on-Trent
April 7- 8 2009
Lowry Salford
April 9-11 2009
Grove Dunstable
April 20-22 2009
South Hill Park Arts Centre, Wilde Bracknell
April 23-25 2009
Riverfront Newport
April 29-30 2009
Rose Kingston-upon-Thames
May 1- 2 2009
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
May 6 2009
Theatr Brycheiniog Brecon
May 7 2009
Everyman Cheltenham
May 18-20 2009
Civic Chelmsford
May 21-June 21 2009
Orchard Dartford
May 22 2009
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