About the Artists

Fishamble: The New Play Company presents Swing Written by Steve Blount, Peter Daly, Gavin Kostick and Janet Moran Performed by Arthur Riordan and Gene Rooney ABOUT THE ARTISTS: Arthur Riordan - Performer (Joe): is a founder member of Rough Magic and has appeared in many of their productions, including Peer Gynt, Improbable Frequency, Solemn Mass for a Full Moon in Summer, and more. He has also worked with the Abbey & Peacock Theatre, Gaiety Theatre, Corcadorca, Pan Pan, Druid, The Corn Exchange, Bedrock Productions, Red Kettle, Fishamble, Project, Bewleys Café Theatre and most recently, with Livin’ Dred, in their production of The Kings Of The Kilburn High Road. Film and TV appearances include Out Of Here, Ripper Street, The Clinic, Fair City, Refuge, Borstal Boy, Rat, Pitch’n’Putt with Joyce’n’Beckett, My Dinner With Oswald, and more. Gene Rooney - Performer (May): has performed on almost every stage in Ireland in over 40 productions. Some of these include: Buck Jones and the Bodysnatchers (Dublin Theatre Festival), The Colleen Bawn Trials (Limerick City of Culture), Pigtown, The Taming of the Shrew, Lovers (Island Theatre Company), The Importance of Being Earnest (Gúna Nua), Our Father (With an F Productions), How I Learned to Drive (The Lyric, Belfast), I ❤Alice ❤ I (Hot for Theatre), TV and film work includes Moone Boy, Stella Days, The Sea, Hideaways, Killinaskully, Botched, The Last Furlong and The Clinic Janet Moran - Writer Janet’s stage work includes Juno and the Paycock (National Theatre, London/Abbey Theatre coproduction), Shibari, Translations, No Romance, The Recruiting Officer, The Cherry orchard, She Stoops to Conquer, Communion, The Barbaric Comedies, The Well of the Saints and The Hostage (all at the Abbey Theatre). Film and television work includes Quirke (BBC) with Gabriel Byrne, Trivia, Love/Hate, Love is the Drug, The Clinic (RTE), The Butcher Boy, Breakfast on Pluto, Milo, Minim Rest, Bono and My Ex, Moll Flanders, Nothing Personal and Volkswagen Joe. Steve Blount - Writer Steve’s previous work for Fishamble includes Tiny Plays for Ireland 1, Tiny Plays for Ireland 2 and Pilgrims in the Park. Other theatre includes A Streetcar Named Desire (Gate), Across the Lough (Performance Corporation), Paisley and Me (Belfast Opera House and NI tour), Bog Boy (Tall Tales and Irish Arts Center, New York), Only and Apple, Savoy, The Wild Duck, Judas of the Gallarus, The Pauper, She Stoops to Folly, (Abbey Theatre), Tarry Flynn (Abbey Theatre/National Theatre, London). Film and television work includes Moone Boy, Titanic, Blood and Steel, Game of Thrones, The Race, 32A, Single Handed, Prosperity, The Clinic, Stolen Child, Stardust, Breakfast on Pluto, Bachelors Walk, Fair City, Glenroe, The Colleen Bawn, Agnes Browne, Mad About Mambo, Pips, Johnny Loves Suzy and Though the Sky. Gavin Kostick – writer Gavin Kostick is a playwright with works produced nationally and internationally and who is also active in the worlds of Opera and Dance. As Literary Manager for Fishamble: The New Play Company and as an independent dramaturg he is involved in wide range of performance development initiatives throughout Ireland. He is also a tutor in dramaturgy at the Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art. Peter Daly - Writer & Director - Recent acting work includes Guaranteed, Tiny Plays for Ireland I & II (Fishamble), The Critic, Jezebel, Travesties, Peer Gynt, The Importance Of Being Earnest, Life Is A Dream, Don Carlos, Attempts On Her Life, The Taming Of The Shrew (Rough Magic), The Government Inspector, Arrah Na Pogue, The Comedy of Errors, The Shaughraun and The Cherry Orchard (Abbey Theatre), Death Of A Salesman (The Gate Theatre), The Dead School & Conversations On A Homecoming (Livin Dred). Television include Trivia, The Mario Rosenstock Show, The Clinic, and Love Is The Drug (RTÉ) Radio includes The Eamon Lowe Show (Today FM). FISHAMBLE: THE NEW PLAY COMPANY is a multi-award winning, internationally acclaimed Irish theatre company, dedicated to the discovery, development and production of new work. Fishamble is committed to touring throughout Ireland and internationally, and typically presents over 200 performances of its plays in approximately 60 venues per year. Fishamble has earned a reputation as ‘a global brand with international theatrical presence’ (Irish Times), ‘forward-thinking Fishamble’ (The New York Times), ‘acclaimed Irish company’ (The Scotsman) and ‘excellent Fishamble…Ireland’s terrific Fishamble’ (The Guardian) through touring its productions to audiences in Ireland as well as to England, Scotland, Wales, France, Germany, Iceland, Croatia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Finland, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Awards for Fishamble productions include Scotsman Fringe First, Herald Angel, Argus Angel, MAMCA, 1st Irish, The Stage and Irish Times Theatre awards, as well as Stewart Parker Trust awards for many of its first time playwrights, and nominations for EMA, Business to Arts and Total Theatre awards. In 2016, Fishamble was nominated with writer/performer Pat Kinevane for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for the Fishamble production of Silent at the Soho Theatre in London. During 2013, to celebrate the company’s 25th birthday, Fishamble donated its living archive to the National Library of Ireland. Fishamble is at the heart of new writing for theatre in Ireland, not just through its productions, but through its extensive programme of Training, Development and Mentoring schemes. Each year, Fishamble typically supports 60% of the writers of all new plays produced on the island of Ireland, approximately 55 plays per year. ‘Ireland’s terrific Fishamble’ The Guardian, 2015 ‘Fishamble puts electricity in the National grid of dreams’ Sebastian Barry ABOUT THE PRODUCTION: About ten years ago Swing writer/original cast member Janet Moran danced with co-writer and fellow original cast member Steve Blount at a party. Steve used to do swing dancing and when he danced with Janet she told him that it was the best dance of her life. This idea was something that stayed with Janet and every so often when she bumped into him she would come back to that feeling that herself and Steve should write a play where they get to dance together. Fishamble’s Literary Manager, Gavin Kostick, worked with Janet and Steve to co- write the play, and they were joined by Peter Daly, who also directed the production, as the fourth member of the writing team. While researching the show the cast had to learn how to dance. Both Janet & Steve attended dance classes until Steve got another acting job and Janet had the daunting prospect of attending by herself. Over the weeks while being partnered with different people she would hear different stories and motivations of why people chose these classes. One of them being a man who was married to his partner for twenty years and just recently bereaved, this was a way for social interaction with the pressure. Another attendee who caught her eye was Fede, with whom, after a couple of weeks, a romance started to slowly blossom and also act as an inspiration for Swing. Swing premiered in 2013 at Tiger Dublin Fringe as part of Show in a Bag in partnership with Fishamble: New Play Company and Irish Theatre Institute. Swing is a comedy about dancing and music and love and not settling and feeling like and eejit and being brave and having doubts and trying your best and trying new things and thinking outside the box an seeing things clearly and living as well as you can and giving it a lash. This is a charming play about the relationship between May and Joe which develops through an academic year of Swing classes. During the year, they must deal with romantic dilemmas, career problems and life choices, not to mention the other participants in the class. Together, the Swing writing team have created a beautiful and uplifting play, full of humanity and insight. Audiences have responded so positively to the play as it has such an enjoyably wicked sense of humour but also has a lot to say, in its unassuming way, about the power we have to help each other through life’s challenges. Two years on, the roles have been re-cast and we are delighted to welcome two of Ireland’s leading actors, Gene Rooney and Arthur Riordan, to the show. In 2016, Fishamble: The New Play Company will bring Swing on a 13-week tour around the world, including 9 Irish venues, 15 venues in the UK, and 10 venues in Australia. Swing will make you want to dance. MARKETING COPY: Fishamble: The New Play Company presents Swing Written by Steve Blount, Peter Daly, Gavin Kostick, and Janet Moran Directed by Peter Daly Cast Arthur Riordan and Gene Rooney Lighting Design by Mark Galione Sound Design by Ivan Birthistle Produced by Eva Scanlan An international hit, fresh from New York, Paris, Edinburgh and New Zealand. A comedy about dancing and music and love and not settling and feeling like an eejit and being brave and having doubts and trying your best and trying new things and thinking outside the box and seeing things clearly and living as well as you can and giving it a lash. With rock ‘n’ roll music. It'll make you want to dance. ★★★★★ The New York Times ★★★★★ The Scotsman ★★★★★ Herald Scotland ★★★★★ Irish Theatre Magazine ★★★★ The Guardian ★★★★ The Times ★★★★ The Irish Times ★★★★ The Sunday Times ★★★★ Irish Daily Mail ★★★★ Broadway Baby 'winning...charming...you want to join them on the floor' CRITICS' PICK ★★★★★ New York Times "A dazzling display of theatrical talent...Remarkable...Moving" Irish Echo ‘Moran and Blount create endearing visions of stalled lives in a whirl of possibility and, with elegant guidance, Daly lets them dance like angels’ ★★★★ Irish Times ‘Funny, warm, and well produced, with a rousing finale that’s enough to make you kick up your own heels’ ★★★★★ Irish Theatre Magazine ‘there's a real sweetness to this comedy.

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