THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE Premieres at the Segal Centre, 1/6

Les productions temenos is pleased to present the Quebec premiere of The Lieutenant of Inishmore - the gory, sexy, hilarious dark comedy by Oscar-winning Martin McDonagh.
Directed by temenos Artistic Director Kate Bligh, The Lieutenant of Inishmore is the story of a sadistic INLA terrorist who mercilessly kills and tortures people but pampers his cat. When he learns that his pet has been murdered, the young Irish nationalist seeks revenge and a farcical spectacle of grisly bloodshed erupts on the sleepy island of Inishmore. The show opens January 6, 2011 at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts at 5170 Chemin de la Cote-Ste-Catherine, Montreal.  The show will run until January 23, 2011.  Tickets are $22 for adults, $17 for students and seniors.  For more information, call the box office at (517) 739-7944 or visit their official website.

Bligh was spellbound when she saw the play on Broadway five years ago. "The Lieutenant of Inishmore is Martin McDonagh's masterpiece. His brilliant, searing satire examines the connection between terrorism and extreme nationalism; whether it is for the love of one's country or the love of one's cat.," said Artistic Director Kate Bligh.

The psychological aftershocks of Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland, and other tragic events in that country during the 20th century, are alluded to throughout the play. "These events are still fresh in Irish and worldwide consciousness. I wanted to direct The Lieutenant of Inishmore because it has cultural resonance for the large Irish community in Montreal and 40% of the Quebecois who identify as having some Irish blood," adds Bligh.

In other layers of this insightful play, McDonagh tackles the controversial themes of sexual identity, gender roles and the barbarity of untamed masculinity.

Plays by Martin McDonagh are often produced in a gritty, Modern naturalistic style. Intending a more intense approach, Director Kate Bligh has combined naturalistic and hyper-real, postmodern performance and design elements.

The talents of distinguished set designer, Eric Mongerson, and celebrated fight director, Jean-François Gagnon, support her bold, dramatic approach. An eclectic mix of young artists working in the areas of costume, sound, graphic design, lighting, and creative film editing complete the design team. The actors are gifted theatre school graduates, or soon-to-be graduates, who shone at competitive auditions. Their intensive, year-long rehearsal process included mixed martial arts, gun training and Laban-Grotowski instruction.

The outcome is an unforgettable production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore, complete with virtuoso performances, hilarity, horror and numerous litres of stage blood!

The Lieutenant of Inishmore was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London in 2001, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. The Broadway production was nominated for Best Play at the 2006 Tony Awards.

Present your ticket stub for The Lieutenant of Inishmore to the Théâtre du Rideau Vert box office and enjoy a 10% discount on a full-price ticket to Martin McDonagh's Le Pillowman (January 11 to 22, 2011). The same discount applies for Le Pillowman theatregoers who wish to see The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Segal Centre.

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