Irish Annals of Aotearoa

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 1st December 2000

"Kia ora-begorrah!"
"We're all kiwis together, an' isn't dat the truth of it?"

Irish Annals of Aotearoa
(a psycle drama)
a play by Simon O'Connor
based on the book by Michael O'Leary
directed by David O'Donnell

BATS Theatre
Phone 802 4175 bats @actrix.co.nz
Tickets $10-$15
January 11th to 27th January, Tues-Sat 8pm, Sun 6pm
(preview Wednesday 10th January - $5 tickets)

Irish Annals of Aotearoa kicks off the Wellington theatre scene for 2001.

Written by Dunedin playwright, Simon O'Connor, this play is based on the 1992 novel The Irish Annals of New Zealand by Kapiti coast writer, Michael O 'Leary. Irish Annals is a comic, lyrical show about bi-cultural identity, described by Bernadette Hall in Theatre News as 'a streamlined, sizzling, lunatic play'.

Irish Annals of Aotearoa has a song in its heart, whiskey on its breath and bullshit on its tongue. "Oi'm a totally innocent victim of history and oi don't want t'die."

Director David O'Donnell is a lecturer in theatre at Victoria University whose recent productions include The Sojourns of Boy and Shudder at BATS.

Irish Annals features an ensemble of exciting and dynamic actors - Stephen Bain, Peter Daube, Waimihi Hotere, Johanna Smith and Karlos Drinkwater.

Set/costume designer Nicole Cosgrove. lighting designer Juliette Howard, movement specialist Sara Brodie and musical director Chris O'Connor.

The play will also be performed at the Paekakariki Hotel on Saturday 3 February at 7.30 p.m. Tickets for this Paekakariki performance are available from Magpie (Paekakariki), Coastlands Information Centre (Paraparaumu) and Bon Appetit Tearooms (Waikanae).

SYNOPSIS

Our drunken protagonist is a totally innocent victim of history - or is he? Latest in a long line of seducers and absconders, he's on the run from his hapu girlfriend in Dunedin and he's just buried his Da. Hopelessly drunk on the Auckland express, he steps out of the wrong door and lies bleeding to death in the snow. In his delirious state, he is visited by the ghosts of his ancestors, and goes on a journey into the past until he finally discovers his own true identity

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT

Kate Walker ph.025 642 5554 / 473 0217 or Janie Walker ph.021 318 198

BATS theatre 1 kent terrace, wellington, new zealand bookings phone: 04 802 4175 office phone: 04 802 4176 fax: 04 802 4010 email: bats@actrix.co.nz www.bats.co.nz

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