BABYLON HEIGHTS
By Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh
Directed by Graham Cantwell
Produced by Marie Louise O'Donnell
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The Play |
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BABYLON HEIGHTS -
The Attic Studio and The Mill Theatre, Dundrum are proud to
present the European Premiere of a new play from the author of
Trainspotting.
If you put four dwarfs in a hotel room with enough opium and
alcohol it’s bound to end in tears…
In 1935 MGM studios embarked on a movie adaptation of L. Frank
Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The production called for the
casting of many dwarfs to play the Munchkins of the mythical Land
of Oz and the studio began recruiting ‘small persons’ from all
over the world.
During production rumours spread around Hollywood of wild Munchkin
sex orgies, drunken behaviour and general dwarf debauchery. More
sinisterly, a Munchkin is said to have committed suicide by
hanging himself on the set during filming – what appears to be a
small human body is clearly visible hanging from a tree in the Tin
Woodsman scene. It is a claim that has passed into Hollywood
legend.
Set in a hotel room in Culver City, California, Babylon Heights is
Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh’s scabrous and hilarious imagining
of what could, very possibly, have led to that dwarf suicide.
This production marks the European premiere of this wonderfully
irreverent play. |
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The Writers |
Irvine Welsh lives in Dublin with his wife.
His first book Trainspotting (1993) reached the last top ten for
the Booker prize and was turned into a successful film and stage
play. His other books are The Acid House, a collection of short
stories published in 1994, a second novel, Marabou Stork
Nightmares (1995), Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance,
published in 1996 and Filth (1998).
Glue (2001) was a return to the locations, themes and episodic
form of Trainspotting, telling the stories of four characters
spanning several decades in their lives and the bonds that held
them together. Having revisited some of them in passing in Glue,
Welsh brought most of the Trainspotting characters back for a
sequel, Porno, in 2002.
His most recent project is a screenplay based on the 19th century
West Port murders. Provisionally titled The Meat Trade, the film
is scheduled to feature Robert Carlyle and Colin Firth under the
direction of Antonia Bird and will be shot on location, in
Edinburgh, during 2006.
Most recently, Welsh has made a foray into directing, having
produced a short film to accompany the track "Atlantic" from
Keane's upcoming album Under the Iron Sea.
His books have been translated into eleven languages around the
world.
Dean Cavanagh is a journalist and screenwriter from
Cottingley, West Yorkshire. He was born in Bradford, also in West
Yorkshire, in 1966. As a journalist, he's been a contributor to
The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday Magazine, New Musical Express,
Melody Maker, Positive Energy of Madness, www.peom.co.uk, The
Face, The Herb Garden and i-d. He has also worked in copywriting,
penning many famous adverts.
His story contribution "Mile High Meltdown" to the best selling
"Disco Biscuits" anthlology (published by Sceptre) brought rave
reviews but rather than pursue a career writing novels he
concentrated on screenwriting.
Dean works regularly with Irvine Welsh. Their play "Babylon
Heights" will be performed simultaneously in Dublin, Chicago and
San Francisco in the spring of 2006. Shooting on their screenplay
"The Meat Trade" starring Robert Carlyle and Colin Firth and
directed by Antonia Bird also starts in the spring of 2006.
Dean has done a number of script doctoring assignments for
companies such as Endemol, Raw Pictures and Warner Bros. Fearful
of being pigeonholed, he comments that he doesn't really have a
niche, but does tend to veer towards projects that challenge the
viewers assumptions. |
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The Director |
Graham Cantwell has been working in the
Irish Film and Theatre Industries since 1996 directing, writing
and producing. He has won many awards at film festivals across the
world including the Tirana Film Festival, The Houston Worldfest in
Texas, the Galway Film Fleadh and the Foyle International Film
Festival. In 2004 his short film “A Dublin Story” was short listed
for the Academy Awards.
He has developed works with many established and emerging writers
and has directed rehearsed readings for the likes of Irvine Welsh
(Trainspotting), Terry McMahon (Sisk, Dancehall Bitch) and booker
prize winning author James Kelman (How late it was, how late).
Graham has directed theatrical works for The Attic Studio
including “Boys’ Life” at Andrews Lane and “Spoon Fed” for The
Dublin Fringe Festival. He recently directed a reading of “A
Letter From Death Row” by Johny Brown with Gary Lewis of Billy
Elliot fame as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the plight
of Kenny Richey, an innocent Scotsman on death row in the US.
Theatrical works in development include “Babylon Heights” with
Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh and “They Make These Noises” with
James Kelman.
Graham is co-founder of “The Attic Studio”. For more visit
www.powertriphome.com/profile.htm |
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The Producer |
Marie Louise O’Donnell studied at Nottingham
University, NUI Maynooth UCD and The Guild Hall School of Music
and Drama in London. She trained produced and presented for BBC
Radio 4 for several years and is currently a regular critic and
contributor on Television and Radio in Ireland.
She is also an actress and in 2000 toured with Northern Broadsides
in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and King John.
A former Head of Drama at Carysfort Teacher Training College, she
was a Lecturer in the School of Communications at DCU where she
was also Director of Arts for the University creating a platform
for Pimlico Opera, The Royal Shakespeare, The Ford Society Awards,
The Children’s Arts Day, The Wild Space Theatre, and The Writers
in Residence Series.
She initiated and developed The Larkin Concert Series in North
Dublin and was part of the team that imagined built and launched
The Helix.
She programmed Theatre Arts in The Helix for 4 years, developed
and artistically programmed The Space, and created Fizzfest, a
yearly Theatre festival for children.
She is a member of the Board of the National Concert Hall.
She has recently returned to the School of Communication at DCU to
lecture, and is pursuing her own innovative Theatre Projects. |
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The Cast |
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David Heap
David trained at the Bristol Old Vic school after a short
and unhappy career in advertising brand management. He
worked in repertory in England for a year before playing
Lancey in Field Day’s world premiere of Translations
in 1980.
Favourite
theatre work since then includes Love for Love and
Forocks with Smock Alley; Death of a Salesman
with Ray McNally at the Gaiety; Noises Off at the
Olympia; Silver Tassie at the Abbey; Dreaming of
the Bones at the Peacock; The Salvage Shop with
Red Kettle; the two Alice plays with Blue Raincoat;
Frank Hardy in Faith Healer with Tinderbox; Ladies
and Gents with Semper Fi; The Weir at the Lyric,
Belfast; the one man show Race of the Ark Tattoo in
Dublin and on tour in the West of Ireland and Finland;
Titus Andronicus with Siren Productions and most
recently Thesis with Guna Nua.
David is still
mostly recognised as Donal Maher who he played for several
years in
Fair City.
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Rachel Rath
Rachel is
delighted to be working on BabyIon Heights and
playing in Mill Theatre.
Rachel
performs weekly with The Craic Pack, an improv comedy
troupe, that has been well received all over Ireland and in
The United States.
www.thecraicpack.com
Theatre
credits include Maggie in
Boys Life
The Attic Studio, X in Doublethink Rotazzaza UK,
Pushing Tins’ Traces (Devised) and Woyzeck (Büchners),
one woman show Spoonface Steinberg Cartway Prod.s and
Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream Public Shakespeare
In the
past year Rachel played the lead in three feature films, two
UK based Cycle and Beam Me Up and Irish
Paranoia with director Colin Downey. She also played
support in Axe Raiders another UK feature set in
Scotland 589AD. Other film credits of note include Ella
Enchanted, Bachelors Walk, Royston Vasey: The
Apocalypse, The Actors and Laws of Attraction.
Upcoming productions include Anton a feature film
with director Graham Cantwell and JIG a feature film
script that Rachel has penned. To find out more check out
her website on
www.rachelrath.com Rachel is founder of The Attic Studio
www.theatticstudio.net
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Dermot Magennis
Dermot cast off the shackles of nine to five life eight
years ago this very month. He is currently playing Barnum
in Purpleheart Theatre Company’s production of How to Act
Around Cops at Mill Theatre.
Other theatre
includes: Barry in Shooters (also with Purpleheart),
Ficsur in Liliom (as part of Rough Magic’s Seeds 2
project last year), Estragon in Waiting For Godot (AC
Productions), Francis Begbie in Trainspotting and
Billy in Europe (both with Common Currency), Charlie
in Crabbed Youth and Age (Bewley’s Café Theatre), Joe
Fell in I Do Not Like Thee Dr. Fell (Andrew’s Lane),
Jasperino in The Changeling (Rattlebag Theatre
Company), Paul in A Good Deed (Very Special Arts) and
Reggie in The Red Hot Runaways (Storytellers).
Film and
Television includes: Da Quixote, Maelstrom,
Sunset
Heights
and
Fair City.
Radio includes: Breathing Space (Galloglass/RTE) and
several award-winning productions with Crazy Dog Audio
Theatre, including Big Big Space and The Last
Harbinger.
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John
Fitzpatrick
John
has had numerous appearances on television shows for RTE
and BBC NI and in short films for The National
Film School and Filmbase. John is also known for
his work behind the camera having edited short films and
written several scripts.
Johns theatre
work includes The Borrowers(The Helix), Road(N.P.A.S)
and Love’s Labour’s Lost(C.S.S.D).
John is
currently studying acting at The Central School of Speech
and Drama, London.
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The Company |
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The Attic Studio
is a community of professional actors, writers, directors &
producers who have been meeting once a week for the past three
years to rehearse, share ideas and network. We provide a free
service to anyone who is working in the performing arts community
in this city. We hold a workshop once a week and our priority is
to explore and create new work.
Mission Statement
The Attic Studio promotes a comfortable environment
● To allow Writers, Directors, Producers and Actors to
Network
● To promote feeling of community
● To promote new work (particularly theatre, film)
● To Share knowledge and information about the Irish Film &
Theatre Industries
● To act as a support mechanism
● To provide information about Auditions, forthcoming
Events/Plays & Training |
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The Theatre |
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Situated in the heart of the
new town centre The Mill Theatre is a state of the art
purpose built arts centre. With a main auditorium that houses 206
seats, a lounge that houses 50, rehearsal rooms, cafe/bar and art
exhibition spaces The Mill Theatre promises the best in every
aspect of the Arts.
Costing €14mn the theatre is finished to the highest specification
and promises to deliver the best space for companies to perform in
as well as the best space for audiences to enjoy.
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