Monday 27 March 2017

Fried Eggs is in London! Two nights only.

In seven days time, my play Fried Eggs, starring Karen Connell is on in London at the wonderful Union Theatre, Southwark on April 3rd and 10th. 

After selling out at its premiere in Theatre Upstairs in 2015, the play toured in 2016 to Galway (at the Town Hall Theatre and Aras Eanna Arts Centre on Inis Oirr) as a co-production with Feilim O'hAoilain and later at Westport Arts Festival. 




Some of the feedback from the  Dublin premiere (2015) and the 2016 tour: 
As a piece of writing, as a piece of theatre it is absolutely wonderful...  Very powerful and beautiful play. I really loved it.... Bridget Jones meets Shirley Valentine meets Nuts. Very funny... Lingers magically in my memory bank... An amazing show! The script and the performance were both outstanding! Loved it... The play was amazing! Still working it out in my head! ...  V powerful piece....Captivating performance...A brilliant piece of work...We wanted more of both Lulu and Eloise!

Sunday 19 March 2017

Fried Eggs is on in London!

“He snarled the way some people can pirouette in a shower without falling over
or flooding the bathroom or accidentally killing their partner with the shower nozzle.”

For two nights only, Fried Eggs will be on in the Union Theatre, Southwark, London. April 3rd and 10th, 2017. This follows sellout shows in Theatre Upstairs (2015) and Galway's Town Hall Theatre (2016). Performed by Karen Connell, Fried Eggs is a bizarre love story about two unusual sisters and one very understanding man. 

There are framed pictures of Greek islands on the walls. White walls. Blue sky. A sea so turquoise blue I can feel it on my tongue but when I go close, everything’s faded, as if they’re memories that are slowly being lost.”

Eloise spends her life consoling men her sister Lulu has slept with and dumped. If Lulu could only be a little more inhibited, that might make Eloise’s life a bit easier. When Eloise loses her job because of Lulu, the last thing she wants is to meet her sister’s latest conquest, Brendan. 

But then again, Brendan might be the one person who can make everything right.

At a time when positive mental health is recognised as being crucial to our well-being and even survival, this funny, lyrical and quirky play shows that no matter what the odds, love and hope are still possible. 


 “There’s an arc of sunlight hitting the tray before it gets collected - by a very small man, but neat if you didn’t take in the beer belly that was triplets for sure. It lights up the cheeseburger as if it were on the red carpet of a Junk Food Premiere.”

From the audience: 

Some of the feedback from the Dublin premiere (2015) and the 2016 tour: 

As a piece of writing, as a piece of theatre it is absolutely wonderful...  
Very powerful and beautiful play. I really loved it.... 
Bridget Jones meets Shirley Valentine meets Nuts. Very funny... Lingers magically in my memory bank... 
An amazing show! The script and the performance were both outstanding! Loved it... 
The play was amazing! Still working it out in my head! ...  
Very powerful piece....Captivating performance...
A brilliant piece of work...
We wanted more of both Lulu and Eloise!


LINDSAY J SEDGWICK
Fried Eggs is written and directed by Lindsay Jane Sedgwick, the award-winning screenwriter and former journalist whose nine hours of  TV and film credits include the creation of the ground-breaking thrice IFTA-nominated TV series, PUNKY. He plays have been across Ireland, in the UK and on BBC Radio 4.

KAREN CONNELL
Trained with Galway Youth Theatre and completed an M.A. in Drama & Theatre Studies, with a focus on playwriting and the Chekhov acting technique.Karen brings a unique understanding to the role. Having survived cancer twice, she knows how moments, seemingly tiny things, almost intangible can impact on a vulnerable individual who is trying to hold everything together and brings great depth to the role.

More feedback and reviews here


Thursday 16 March 2017

Dad's Red Dress launch: What a blast!

So, the wonderful comic actress Julie Lockey read about a piranha called Ponchinello who never makes friends, a handbag full of small but very beautiful sheep and feeding her irritating kid sister to lions, even if she knows it has to be wrong at some level...
Julie Lockey has everyone in stitches
reading from Dad's Red Dress

... and Dad's Red Dress was officially launched.
I introduce the book, my dubious 
past record with publishing 
and try not to wave my hands
toooooo much.










My book and I were flanked by friends and readers from all over Ireland (not to mention the UK, France, Germany,Croatia, America and Australia!), ably assisted by many bottles of wine (now deceased, but they emptied happily) and a small glass of jelly babies. (What's a launch without jelly babies? Seriously!)


Aoife Henkes, who designed the
cover n me. 
YAY! My first signing. 
Huge thanks to everyone who came, who brought my book home and to Filmbase for all their help and support. We had over 60 people there and the atmosphere was wonderful.

I want to do it again -- but I'll have to publish another book. That won't be until the end of the Summer - but what an incentive!!


 Some pics from the night...


Annemarie, Deirdre & Julie
Libby, Anna Olson Nugent and Paul
Nugent, with Leo photo-bombing, peacefully.
Nuala, Philip & Marie

Since Jessie does get a bit fragile
in the book,. Filmbase arranged a
fragile window...
With artist Annemarie Mockler & Deirdre
McGivney
Tracy: I have mine!











And more signing, overlooked
by wine.

John Hanamy, Philip Mullen and
the distinguished backs of artist
Anne-Marie Mockler and author
Susan Knight
Author Caroline Farrell, Aaron 
Hunter of Maynooth Uni and 
my school friend Jean Rafferty 




Actress Julie Lockey and marathon 
legend, Kris Ryan in front of more work
by Aoife Henkes, graphic artist.


Before I was dragged away 
running the bar.


Wednesday 8 March 2017

Book Launch: Dad's Red Dress, March 15th

Picture this - next Wednesday evening, 7pm, Dublin city centre: a room full of interesting people, the hum of chatter, some wine, the wonderfully talented actress Julie Lockey reading from Dad's Red Dress... (If you saw All Thumbs last year, you'll know how good she is) ...and the book itself, Dad's Red Dress, sitting, beckoning you over because it wants to be on your bookshelf. Seriously. It knows this!



Even my loyal companion while I was writing this book has been convinced!


Hope to see you there!

All the info on the event is here.




Dad's Red Dress is available in paperback and e-book on Amazon
There's a trailer here  Trailer