Written by Actor, Playwright and Screenwriter Emmet Kirwan and directed by Phillip McMahon, Straight to Video premieres on October 28

Straight to Video sees Irish film and theatre heavyweights Emmet Kirwan and Phillip McMahon join forces. Directed by playwright and theatre director McMahon, Kirwan has written the play but will also be performing in it alongside Stephen Brennan, Colin Campbell, Lloyd Cooney, Derbhle Crotty, Callan Cummins and Kate Gilmore.

Set in Kirwin’s hometown during the mid-90s, a turbulent period in Tallaght’s social history, against the backdrop of the Drugs Out marches, Straight to Video is a biting new comedy.

In a video shop in west Tallaght, in the tumultuous spring of 1995, the owner Barry is having problems with his staff, the customers, a local vigilante called The Coach, and an elusive video pirate simply called The Video Van Man, who’s ripping off his stock.

His long-suffering staff Karl and Claire are the movie geek brains that keep the shop going, but they and the shop are under threat from a multitude of outside forces – local vigilantes, lack of opportunity, their chaotic family lives, not to mention VHS going rapidly out of fashion.

The shop cannot survive, but if our gang is going out they’ll go out together, with integrity …because all anyone in this play wants is to watch a film together, in peace.

Produced by Landmark Productions the play will premiere in The Civic in Tallaght, where the play is set, and will then move to Project Arts Centre.

Creating a play set in his hometown was special for Kirwan who hopes that “it captures the fun and magic of that refuge for misfits in the 90’s, the video shop.”

“It’s a thrill to team up with Emmet again,” McMahon said, “A new Emmet Kirwan play is something we can all get very excited about, and with Straight To Video he’s written a buzzing ensemble comedy with a huge heaving heart. His signature style of acerbic wit mixed with social conscience makes for a thought-provoking night full of belly laughs that will be a tonic for live audiences returning to the theatre,” he added.

Booking opens on October 1, before opening in The Civic, Tallaght from November 2, until November 6, the production will then move to the Project Arts Centre from November 10 until December 11.

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