59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Dublin, Ireland's Rough Magic Theatre Company in their US premiere with their masterful wartime musical comedy IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY, with book and lyrics by Arthur Riordan and music by Bell Helicopter. Directed by Rough Magic Artistic Director Lynne Parker, IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY begins previews on Friday, November 28 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 4. Opening Night is Thursday, December 4 at 8 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 PM; Wednesday at 2 PM and 8 PM; Thursday and Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM; and Sunday at 3 PM. Please note, the Holiday performance schedule of Wednesday, December 24 at 2 PM and Thursday, December 25 at 6 PM. IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY performs in Theater A at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison). Single tickets are $60 ($42 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.ticketcentral.com. For more information, visit www.59e59.org.
IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY is a joyously surreal satire that lifts the lid on Ireland's fragile neutrality during World War II and cuts to the heart of the tempestuous, can't-live-with-'em-can't-live-without-'em affair with its nearest neighbor, Britain.
While war rages across Europe, Dublin revels in its knife-edge neutrality as the fledgling Irish Free State tries to remain open for business. A hotbed of political and cultural bohemians, the city is host to a volatile mixture of exiled intellectuals, literary bar-lizards, British spies and Nazi sympathizers.
When coded messages, broadcast during an Irish radio-requests show, draw the attention of the British, a young code breaker called Tristram Faraday is sent across the Irish Sea to investigate. His enquiries lead him into a series of deeply improbable encounters, where the truth is more improbable than anyone could have imagined.
There are subversive agents to placate, comely maidens to seduce, and a plot fizzing with deals, capers and extraordinary war-time conspiracies. IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY is a madcap, anarchic poke at the real and imaginary howlers of history which showcases writer Arthur Riordan's delight in the rough and tumble of words, orchestrated from vaudeville to cabaret through Bell Helicopter's jauntily witty score.
Benedict Nightengale of the Times of London called IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY, "One of the wittiest, funniest, most enjoyable shows I have ever seen!" Time Out London called it "beguilingly quirky, linguistically dazzling!" Lyn Gardner of The Guardian praised, "Like
Tom Stoppard's Travesties, but larger, more insane, more colourful, and with added song and dance… A theatrical tour-de-force and quite unlike anything else you'll ever see!" And Fintan O'Toole called it, "Immensely impressive and, more importantly, enormously entertaining" in the Irish Times. IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY, which stormed the Dublin and Edinburgh Festivals, marks the New York debut of the dynamic Rough Magic Theatre Company, a trail-blazing ensemble at the cutting edge of Irish theatre. The musical was nominated in five categories and won three Irish Times Theatre Awards including Best Production and Best Director.
The Cast of IMPROBABLE FREQUENCY features Sarah-Jane Drummey, Peter Hanly, Darragh Kelly, Louis Lovett, Marty Rea and Cathy White. The design team includes Alan Farquharson (sets), Kathy Strachan (costumes), Sinéad Mckenna (lighting) and Bell Helicopter (sound). The Musical Director is Morgan Cooke.
Lynne Parker (director) is co-founder and Artistic Director of Rough Magic, where she has directed over 41 productions. Her productions for Rough Magic have received more than six Irish Times Theatre Awards. Other work outside of Rough Magic includes productions for the Abbey, Druid, the Bush Theatre, the Almeida Theatre, the
Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic, Tinderbox, Opera Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Arthur Riordan's (book and lyrics) writing includes Hidden Charges and MC Dev's Emergency Session (both for Rough Magic); Shooting Gallery (co-written with Des Bishop for Bedrock Productions); Rap Eire (also with Des Bishop for Bickerstaffe); Love Me?! (Corn Exchange Car Show); The Last Temptation of
Michael Flatley (Macra na Feirme commission); and Blood, Sweat, and Breakfast In Bed (RTE Radio). As an actor, Arthur has performed extensively with Rough Magic, Druid, Bedrock, The Passion Machine, Project, Storytellers, Calypso, Fishamble, and The Abbey and Peacock, as well as numerous film and TV appearances.
Bell Helicopter (music) was formed by Conor Kelly and Sam Park. Using their distinctive style and mixture of music and design they perform as a band and have collaborated with many in film, theatre and dance. They have written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, BBC, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 3, Carlton TV, Royal Court Theatre, Traverse Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival, Druid Theatre Company, Prime Cut Productions, RTE, South London Gallery, White Chapel Art Gallery, CoisCéim Dance Theatre and many other theatre productions. Previous work with Rough Magic includes The Whisperers and Olga. Bell Helicopter have two CDs on release, Blade and Hit and Run.
Cathy White and Peter Hanly
Louis Lovett
Sarah-Jane Drummey
Darragh Kelly and Cathy White
Photos by Ross Kavnaugh
