MR STAINES

By Dermot Healy

Mr Staines is a comic and entertainingly absurd play. Arguably, it is a play within a play. It is set on a stage, where the characters are actors rehearsing their roles. The play is interrupted many times by shouts wafting from the wings, when the characters forget their lines. Throughout, Mr Staines ponders his existence and his role in life, not to mention his role in the play. McGregor, his loyal student and side kick attempts to allay Mr Staines’ fears and anxieties, all to no avail.

One of the most novel and interesting conventions of the play is that the women and the men are never on stage at the same time. Yet they manage to comically communicate with each other from the wings. These droll exchanges are definitely one of the highlights of the play.

The play ends with Mr Staines continuing his search for the answers. But what were the questions again?

Directed by Gavin Quinn

Designed by Aedín Cosgrove

Costume Design by Veerle Dehaene

Produced by Aoife White

Cast: Fedelma Cullen, Charles Kelly, Ronan Leahy, Suzanne Robertson, and Harry Towb

‘Harry Towb’s Staines is masterful, a tour de force performance …… The excellent Pan Pan Theatre company has never been more inviting.’

- The Irish Times

‘There’s plenty to admire in this show – the performances, imagery and the ideas…’

- The Evening Herald