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Stones in His Pockets

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

10 November-13 December 2008
Cremorne Theatre - QPAC
Cnr Grey St & Melbourne St, South Brisbane

Before Belfast writer Marie Jones struck West End gold with her play Stones in His Pockets, she made ends meet as a movie extra in Ireland. Had the monotony of life on set and the messy politics of the industry got the better of her, then In the Name of the Father may have been the single finest legacy of her experience. Instead, she wryly observed the whole process, sowing the seeds for a play. Stones in His Pockets is the result.

Her poke at the imperial nature of Hollywood and the world of delusion it fosters takes place in a sleepy Irish town, the location of a new American blockbuster. The arrival causes some townsfolk to be star-struck, while others just want to strike the stars.

Stones' sticking point is that for its multitude of characters, it has a cast of just two. In the case of the Queensland Theatre Company, it is a chance to see the range of talent from actors Mitchell Butel and Michael Habib in full flight. Between them they run a gamut of more than 20 characters, including protagonists Jake and Charlie - who find themselves as extras on the film - starlet Caroline Giovanni, her thuggish bodyguard and the frustrated and miserable director. Stones' director Jon Halpin, on the other hand, couldn't be happier with the result. "[Jones] manages to take on issues of class, culture, integrity and our celebrity obsession with a wry humour", he says.

Kilian David