Stones in His Pockets pop into MK Theatre on Monday (September 15) for one night only.
The 'hilarious and moving tale of a quiet Irish community turned upside down by the arrival of a Hollywood movie shoot,' is a multi-award winning smash, which enjoyed a sell-out run on Broadway and a ran for four years in the West End.
Original director
Ian McElhinney (above) is at the helm of this current theatre trawl.
Himself an established actor with a long and wonderfully-varied career (he currently stars as Barristan Selmy in Game of Thrones) Ian knew that
Stones in His Pockets was a special draw when he first became involved, back in 2000.
"It's magic!" he explains of its allure, "At the time, the idea of telling a whole story involving a large number of characters with just two actors seemed very novel.
"I think it captivates the audience's imagination because an awful lot is created with very little," he explained.
"And that's what I think is the key to its appeal. Once a show has generated that level of appeal and does well in the West End and on Broadway then the juggernaut is rolling, you know? And touch wood, please God, it keeps on rolling."
Ian does have a particular closeness with this piece - Stones in His Pocket was written by
Marie Jones (below), Ian's wife.
Returning to the show now has been interesting, says the director.
"I think I did it for too long the first time around and I think it'a actually the hardest thing in the world to come back to a successful production with a new cast and try and recreate it," he admits.
"I actually came back to it after a gap of nearly ten years and found it very invigorating. I'm pretty confident that the way in which we do it works, and we should cling to that."
And how is it working with one's spouse so closely?
"The bottom line is, you trust each other. I trust the material because I know that she has a tremendous ability. I think she also gets considerable empathy from her audience because not only is there a warmth and honesty in her writing but she also has a wicked and powerful sense of humour."
Tickets for Stones in His Pockets are on sale now from www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call 0844 871 7652
"It's magic!" he explains of its allure, "At the time, the idea of telling a whole story involving a large number of characters with just two actors seemed very novel.
"I think it captivates the audience's imagination because an awful lot is created with very little," he explained.
"And that's what I think is the key to its appeal. Once a show has generated that level of appeal and does well in the West End and on Broadway then the juggernaut is rolling, you know? And touch wood, please God, it keeps on rolling."
Ian does have a particular closeness with this piece - Stones in His Pocket was written by Marie Jones (below), Ian's wife.
Returning to the show now has been interesting, says the director.
"I think I did it for too long the first time around and I think it'a actually the hardest thing in the world to come back to a successful production with a new cast and try and recreate it," he admits.
"I actually came back to it after a gap of nearly ten years and found it very invigorating. I'm pretty confident that the way in which we do it works, and we should cling to that."
And how is it working with one's spouse so closely?
"The bottom line is, you trust each other. I trust the material because I know that she has a tremendous ability. I think she also gets considerable empathy from her audience because not only is there a warmth and honesty in her writing but she also has a wicked and powerful sense of humour."
Tickets for Stones in His Pockets are on sale now from www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call 0844 871 7652
