THE Barn Theatre have announced the full cast and creative team for the 25th anniversary production of Marie Jones’ Olivier award-winning tragicomedy Stones in His Pockets. The production will return to Lyric Theatre Belfast, where the original acclaimed production debuted in 1999, from 7 June – 3 July.

Set in rural Ireland, Stones in His Pockets follows a small village that is turned upside down by the arrival of a Hollywood studio to film the latest historical blockbuster. Told through the eyes of local lads Charlie Conlon and Jake Quinn, who are employed as extras, it soon becomes clear that Tinseltown’s romanticised dream of Ireland is a long way from reality.

Directed by Matthew McElhinney, son of the playwright Marie Jones and the play’s original director Ian McElhinney, this new production promises to bring an authentic rediscovery of the worldwide phenomenon, which has won numerous awards including both the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best New Comedy, as well as three Tony nominations on Broadway.

The 25th Anniversary production, which premiered in Cirencester in summer 2021, will see the return of Shaun Blaney as Jake and Gerard McCabe as Charlie with direction by Matthew McElhinney, design by Gregor Donnelly, choreography by Fleur Mellor, lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner, sound design by Harry Smith, AV design by Benjamin Collins and Alex Tabrizi and Denise Cleal as costume supervisor.

Marie Jones said of the production’s homecoming, "Almost 25 years ago when this play opened at the Lyric Theatre, little did we know the amazing journey that was ahead... from London to Broadway, Olivier Awards, Tony Nominations, translated and performed in 38 languages and still playing around the world.. but coming home, for me, is just the best."

Matthew McElhinney said: “Lights, Camera, Action! After conquering the world 25 years ago, it is my privilege to work with the exciting team at The Barn Theatre to bring the phenomenal smash hit ‘Stones In His Pockets’ back to the nest. What happens when the stars become the extras and the extras become the stars? Find out at the Lyric Theatre Belfast; resurrected, reclaimed, and reimagined! This is ‘Stones,’ like you have never seen it before’ Welcome home!

The team behind the new production

SHAUN BLANEY as Jake Quinn

An award-winning actor from Downpatrick, based in London and graduate of Queen’s University Belfast. Shaun starred last year in the critically acclaimed sell-out one man show In the Name of the Son (Greenshoots) chronicling the life of Gerry Conlon, which returns this summer to the Millenium Forum, the Grand Opera House, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He also starred in the BBC comedy pilot St Mungos written by Conor Grimes and Alan McKee and will be appearing in the upcoming second season of Bloodlands (BBC). 

Further credits include The Man Who Fell to Pieces (Tinderbox), Three's a Shroud (GBL), Bouncers (Guildford Fringe), Comet (replay) and Inventors (Kabosh).

GERARD McCABE as Charlie Conlon

Gerard trained at The Lir National Academy Dramatic Arts, Dublin, and Rainbow Factory School of Performing Arts, Belfast.

Credits include: The Threepenny Opera, What The Reindeer Saw, Smiley, Pride and Prejudice and The Jungle Book (Lyric Theatre); The Blue Boy Glenmore (Brassneck/Lyric Theatre); Jacque Brel is Alive and Well (Lyric Theatre/Blunt Fringe); and Lally the Scut, Fireworks, and Swing State Cabaret (Tinderbox).  Film and TV credits include, Ups and Downs (BBC); U Looking At Me (Channel 4); Betrayal of trust and Father Father (BBC NI); Give My Head Peace (BBC NI) and Touched by an Angel (CBS), William of Orangefield (Blap, Channel 4).

Gerard has also worked as a presenter for CBBC on Ukool for five years and also worked as guest presenter on Fully Booked. Gerard has numerous panto and  small  screen  credits  and  he  is  the  founder  of  Pintsized  Productions  and  Artistic  Producer  at  Sodabread  Theatre.

MARIE JONES – Writer

Marie’s plays have toured extensively throughout the world, including the former Soviet Union, Germany, coast to coast America, Canada, Britain and Ireland. Her plays include an adaptation of Gogol’s The Government Inspector, which toured in Britain and Ireland and A Night in November (London, Glasgow, New York and three tours of Ireland). Marie also starred in and wrote Women on the Verge of HRT (Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow and London’s West End Vaudeville Theatre).

Dancing Shoes, the story of George Best, co-written with Martin Lynch and the Miami Show Band Story also co-written with Martin Lynch both premiered at the Grand Opera House and went on to tour the UK and Ireland. Stones in His Pockets, which toured Ireland prior to the Dublin Theatre Festival culminating in a four-year run-in London’s West End, gaining many wards including the Lawrence Oliver Award for Best New Comedy and the Evening Standard award for Best new Play. Her Broadway debut of Stones in His Pockets gained three Tony nominations and won the American Drama Critics award. Marie’s plays have been translated into 38 languages. Night in November, Fly Me to The Moon and Stones in His Pockets are currently playing in most countries in Scandinavia, also in Poland, Hungary and Croatia. Stones in his Pockets has just had its Indian Premier. Night in November will have its 25th anniversary production in April/May at the Irish Arts Centre in New York. Dear Arabella, her latest play, was directed by Lindsay Posner the Oliver Award Director and premiered at the Lyric Theatre.

MATTHEW McELHINNEY – Director

Matthew McElhinney’s directorial career began when he assisted on the award-winning Crimea Square which picked up the Audience Choice Award at the Belfast Festival. From there he has gone from strength to strength securing a top five spot in 2017 Edinburgh Fringe and a five-star review in The British Theatre Guide with his work on Frank Carson; Rebel without a Pause. He has directed large scale outdoor family events, Footsteps in the Forest, and Waking the Giant for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. And the commemorative events of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme for Orangefest and Letters from the front, for Remembrance Day. All met with much acclaim. He took the helm as community director on We’ll Walk Hand in Hand, a large community outreach project and stage play exploring Civil Rights in the North of Ireland. His recent production of Betrothed, appeared at Belfast’s Grand Opera House to a completely sold-out run. He is also working on bringing to stage the story of the world-famous Dead Rabbit bar in New York.

Matthew recently directed the 25th anniversary production of A Night in November, before the pandemic, where it was received glowingly from audiences and critics alike before setting out on an Irish tour. It was set to transfer to New York. Unfortunately, Covid 19 struck and so he put together a digital online performance for the IAC in New York pioneering the new medium of immersive live performance in a digital post-Covid world. It is due to return for an English tour this year to the Chiswick Theatre, London and the MINACK, Cornwall. Matthew is excited by the prospect of reclaiming and reimagining this production of his mother’s play, Stones in His Pockets, with the exciting and dynamic creative team at The Barn Theatre. 

For ticket details visit here.