Irish Stage Company Launches with STONES IN HIS POCKETS Tonight

Irish Stage Company's inaugural production brings Marie Jones' multi-award winning worldwide hit STONES IN HIS POCKETS to Toronto's Alumnae Studio Theatre, tonight, Nov. 26th - Dec.12th 2015.

A small town in County Kerry, Ireland, is being
overrun by a Hollywood film crew filming "The Quiet Valley". Charlie Conlon and Jake Quinn, like much of the town, are thrilled to be employed as extras for the movie and both have high hopes of hitting it big. The efforts of the American production crew to create a proper, romanticized "Irish feel" often conflicts with real life in a rural Irish town and the result is hilarious. Amidst the comedy however, the harsh realities of rural life surface and real stories are poignantly told.

The irresistible comedy Stones in His Pockets has won just about every award out there: The Irish Times /ESB Irish Theatre Award, two Laurence Olivier Awards, an Evening Standard Theatre Award, a New York Outer Critics Circle Award together with three nominations for Tony Awards. In Toronto (2001) it garnered a Dora Award and Dora nomination.

Irish Stage Company brings together two of Toronto's favourite Irish actors -- Mark Whelan and Stephen Farrell. In an acting tour-de-force, both actors will bring to life a colourful cast of 15 characters. Audiences are sure to have of an outstanding and memorable theatrical experience!

Mark Whelan (a.k.a."the Sleeman guy" in those great beer commercials!) -Theatre: A Number ( Cart/ Horse ), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Alumnae), Of Mice and Men (Tribal), A Scull in Connemara, James Joyce's The Dead, Da (Toronto Irish Players), Sunshine Express, Separate Beds (Globus Theatre). TV: Republic of Doyle, Murdoch's Mysteries, The Listener, Being Erica, Film: Sunday at Tiffany's, Pompeii, Pixels.

Stephen Farrell -Theatre: The Lonesome West, A Skull in Connemara, The Weir, At the Black Pigs Dyke. TV & Film: Reign, Satisfaction, Murdoch Mysteries, Dark Matter, Rogue, Hemlock Grove and the upcoming film The Space Between.

Director James Barret is the Co-founder and Artistic Producer of Globus Theatre where he has directed more than 20 plays to date including The 39 Steps, Billy Bishop Goes To War and Educating Rita. He directed the world tour of Do You Take This Man? for Quickchange Theatre (Winner: Best Play* Melbourne Fringe Festival).

Dates: November: 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th December: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 9th, 10th, 11th 12th All shows are 8pm except Sunday Nov 29th and the Sunday Dec 6th at 2pm. Tickets: General Admission: $25 Senior/Student: $20 (ID required) Actra/Equity: $20 (ID req'd).