HIGHLAND ARTS THEATRE
PUTS GUTS AND GLORY ON STAGE

Sydney’s newest venue debuts local production of award winning Irish play

Oct. 16th, 2014. Sydney, NS. Theatre professional Kristen Gregor returns home after nine years working professionally in Montreal to direct the second production of the highly lauded Highland Arts Theatre (formally St. Andrew’s Church) with Martin McDonagh’s biting dark comedy: “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”.

    Gregor, a Westmount native, graduated from Concordia’s Theatre Program in 2009 and has been working professionally and semi-professional in Montreal and Toronto ever since. Lieutenant marks her directing return to Cape Breton with an ambitious project that brings classic action movie tropes to live audiences in a hilarious comedy that is sure to feel familiar to Cape Breton audiences. “When I read this play several years ago, I just thought ‘That’s it! That’s Cape Breton!” It may have been written about a small island in Ireland, but the characters might as well be from New Waterford and Sydney Mines.” Said HAT Artistic Director, Wesley J. Colford. “When Kristen proposed it as our second production, I knew we had to do it.”

When a rogue IRA Lieutenant, ‘Mad’ Padriac, finds out his cat’s been killed, he races home to his hometown in the lone island of Inishmore to find out what killed the poor beast, but small town politics, family rivalry, and revenge conspire to get the best of everyone involved.  “Bitterly blood curdling and breathtakingly funny”, this not-for-the-faint-of-heart satire raises the carnage factor to a level that rivals Quentin Tarantino.

Another of McDonagh’s plays, The Pillowman, which appeared on Broadway will grace the stage of the Boardmore Playhouse at CBU in the new year.

With a language and violence warning, the show is targeted towards a younger generation that might not be used to attending the theatre. As such, after the play will be a free concert featuring a different local band every night. Bands include Rad and Subtract, The Full Effect, Analog Signal, Black Tooth Grin, and Static in Action.

Highland Arts Theatre presents

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

by Martin McDonagh

Directed by Kristen Gregor

Featuring:     John-Paul Bergeron

Daniel Dobson

Clayton D'Orsay

Jenna Lahey

Danny MacNeil

Duane Nardocchio

Steven Peters

Sam White

Lighting Design by Alison Crosby

   Stage Management by Mary-Jean Doyle

Produced by Wesley J. Colford
 

Opens  October 17th, 2014 runs to October 23rd

At Highland Arts Theatre, 40 Bentinck St., Sydney, NS