Gutted, an Irish black comedy by Sharon Byrne, opens in Canterbury on 3 October and will visit the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith (Fri 11 Oct), The Maud, Walthamstow (Wed 16 Oct), The Dugdale Centre, Enfield (Fri 25 Oct) and Omnibus Theatre, Clapham (Tue 29 & Wed 30 Oct) as part of its 15-venue Autumn tour. Set in a 1980’s Dublin fish-factory, Gutted explores the lives of three strong women, played by Eleanor Byrne, Niamh Finlay and Sarah Hosford, with dark humour and tenderness. Gutted is directed by Chris White.

Sharon Byrne (Charlie’s Wake, Finborough Theatre) draws on her Dublin upbringing to present the lives of three women working in a fish factory in the 1980’s. Through comic monologue, the women give us a snapshot of the characters and challenges in their lives at the time. Exploring themes of family, trust, love and loss, Gutted touches on issues of domestic violence and abortion, which remain as relevant today as they were over 30 years ago.

Sharon Byrne explains: “Growing up close to a fish factory in Dublin, I was intrigued by the charismatic and resilient women who I’d see travelling to and from work there. They were tough, hard-working women, but they never stopped chatting and laughing. Life as a woman in Ireland still has its – often suppressed – challenges, and I felt compelled to raise awareness of these issues and help break the silence.”

“An exhilarating experience and a wonderful life affirming play”. Mark Everett, Former Director, The Marlowe, Canterbury.
Director Chris White leads Soho Theatre’s Writer’s Lab and is an RSC Associate, directing a production of Henry IV at the Houses of Parliament and leading residencies and projects in China, India and the United States. Most recently he directed Booby’s Bay by Henry Darke.

This production is made possible with the support of Arts Council England, Producer Vivienne Foster, writer Sharon Byrne, The Marlowe Canterbury and First Degree East.

Ends

For press enquiries please contact Francesca Maguire:
Franmaguire10@outlook.com / 07747 605971


Notes to editors:
Gutted by Sharon Byrne
Directed by Chris White
Produced by Vivienne Foster
Lighting by Marty Langthorne
Choreography by Jess Boyd
Costumes by Sorcha Corcoran
Cast: Eleanor Byrne, Niamh Finlay and Sarah Hosford

Gutted opens in Canterbury on Thursday 3 October 2019 and tours to Aylesbury, Sudbury, Basildon, Hammersmith, Bromley, Watford, Crawley, Walthamstow, Deal, Hemel Hempstead, Maidstone, Guildford, Enfield and Clapham. www.gutted-theplay.com

Twitter @guttedfringe / Facebook guttedfringe / Instagram – guttedfringe

Tour Schedule and Listings
Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 October 2019
The Marlowe Studio, The Friars, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2AS
Performance times: 8pm and a Saturday matinee at 3pm.
Tickets: £18 and £15 plus booking fee
Booking: 01227 787787 or https://marlowetheatre.com/whats-on/

Tuesday 8 October 2019
Second Space, The Waterside Theatre, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, HP20 1UG
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £17 and £10
Booking: 0844 8717607 or https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/gutted/aylesbury-waterside-second-space/

Wednesday 9 October 2019
The Quay Theatre, Quay Lane, Sudbury, CO10 2AN
Performance time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £14 and £13 plus booking fee
Booking: 01787 374745 or https://quaytheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873605900?_ga=2.149529906.524117709.1555491831-786854426.1555491831

Thursday 10 October 2019
The Mirren Studio, Towngate, Basildon, SS14 1DL
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets from £15 plus booking fee
Booking: 01268 205300 or https://towngatetheatre.co.uk/gutted/

Friday 11 October 2019
Irish Cultural Centre, Black’s Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 9DT
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £12 / £10 concession
Booking: 0208 5638232 or https://irishculturalcentre.co.uk/event/theatre-gutted/ EVENTBRITE

Saturday 12 October 2019
The Churchill Studio, Bromley, BR1 1HA
Performance time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15 plus booking fee
Booking: 0203 2856000 or https://churchilltheatre.co.uk/Online/tickets-gutted-bromley-2019

Monday 14 October 2019
The Pumphouse Theatre, Local Board Road, Watford, WD17 2JP
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £15
Booking: http://www.pumphouse.info/events/gutted-by-sharon-byrne/

Tuesday 15 October 2019
The Hawth Studio, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, RH10 6YZ
Performance time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £15 plus booking fee
Booking: 01293 553636 or https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/The-Hawth/show/a86a010f-957b-e811-a956-c5c7172fc81d/gutted

Wednesday 16 October 2019
Maud, Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4QH
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £15 and £12.50 plus booking fee
Booking: 020 8520 8636 or https://dice.fm/event/y83qp-gutted-16th-oct-mirth-marvel-and-maud-london-tickets?_branch_match_id=647051793182011322

Thursday 17 October 2019
Astor Community Theatre, Stanhope Road, Deal, CT14 6AB
Performance time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £15-£18
Booking: 01304 370220 or http://theastor.org/TheAstor.dll/WhatsOn?Programme=2727872

Friday 18 October 2019
Old Town Hall Theatre, High Street, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3AE
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £15 / £13 / £10.50
Booking: 01422 228091

Saturday 19 October 2019
Exchange Studio at The Hazlitt Theatre, Earl Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1PL
Performance time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £16.50
Booking: 01622 758611 or https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/Hazlitt-Theatre/show/58f3db19-4f5e-e911-a98d-fecea09cd070/gutted

Monday 21 October 2019
The Electric Theatre, Guildford, GU1 4SZ
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £17 and £15 plus booking fee
Booking: 01483 501200 or https://electric.theatre/shows/gutted-irish-black-comedy/?spektrix_bounce=true
Friday 25 October 2019
The Dugdale Studio Centre, London Road, Enfield, EN2 6DS
Performance time: 8pm
Tickets: £16.50
Booking: 0208 8076680 or https://www.dugdalecentre.co.uk/whats-on/gutted/

Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October 2019
Omnibus Theatre, Clapham Common North Side, London, SW4 0QW
Performance time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £13 and £11
Booking: 0207 4984699

Sharon Byrne
Sharon Byrne has been a playwright and screenwriter for over fifteen years. Her first play Charlie’s Wake performed at the Finborough Theatre Earls Court in 2001. Sharon has written three plays, and two screenplays. Gutted, her most recent premiered at the Marlowe Theatre for a week in February 2017 and was short listed in the Moondance Film festival as a screenplay with co- writer Melissa Garner Lee in 2008. Her current screenplay, ‘The Year of the Dog’ is co-written with Rob Sprackling and is currently with Gemma Hirst Associates. Sharon has a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Middlesex and has lectured in Playwriting and screenwriting for nearly ten years. Sharon lives in Whitstable, Kent with her family.

Chris White
Director Chris White’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Centre for Performing Arts, Beijing) currently plays in repertoire and his recent production of Scenes From 68* Years (Arcola Theatre) was nominated for three OffWestEnd Awards including Best Director. His production of Booby’s Bay earlier this year played at Finborough Theatre, London before touring to The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol and a site-specific venue in Cornwall, and will return next year.
Further Direction includes The Visit, The Suicide, Le Foreste di Arden (Teatro Della Contradizzione), Hard Places (Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai, then Indian tour), The Truth (La Virgule, Lille), Fewer Emergencies (Teatro Litta, Milan), Trouble and Wonder (Royal Shakespeare Company) I Burn, I Pine, I Perish (Belgrade, Coventry), 40 Years Young (Young Vic), Soho Young Playwrights (Soho Theatre), The Water When it Burns (Hampstead Theatre), The Sale (Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff), Plan D (Tristan Bates, Nominated for The Meyer-Whitworth Award), Cocoa (Theatre503).

Chris leads Writers Lab at Soho Theatre and works internationally as an Associate Practitioner for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Forthcoming productions include bottled by Hayley Wareham

Eleanor Byrne plays Breda
Eleanor is a born and bred Dubliner. She trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

Theatre includes: Megan in Good Gracious, Good Friday (Theatre N16); Alien & Puppeteer in Santa’s Mixed-Up Martian (The New Wimbledon Studio); Flit in Splinter (Etcetera Theatre); Ellen in Constellation Creatives CoLab at (The Hospital Club Covent Garden); Mini Haha in Peter Pan (Victoria Theatre Halifax); Swing in Billy Fury Dance Show (Shaw Theatre King’s Cross); First Witch in Macbeth (Complete Works Tour); Spirit in Dido & Aeneas (Opera in the Open); Folk & Classical Dancer in The Merry Widow (The National Concert Hall Dublin). Workshops include Callista in Eris at the Wedding.

Film and television credits include: Artiste in What Is Your Name (New Arc Films); Saturday Night Fever Girl Britain’s Got Talent Promotional Ad (ITV); Office Worker in The Expert Meshes TV; Kristen in Dissolution (Vast Productions); Orient Express Experience at RHS Chelsea Flower Show (BBC); Karen in Employability Training App (Replay Film and New Media).

Niamh Finlay plays Deirdre
Niamh is an Irish actress from Dublin, she graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with a BA (Hons) in Acting in 2017. Since graduating she has played Ophelia in Hamlet in a national tour with Changeling Theatre in the summer of 2017, she also recently completed a sold out run playing Saoirse in Yokes Night at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Sarah Hosford plays Delores
Sarah trained in Musical Theatre at Performance Preparation Academy. Sarah’s theatre credits include I Got Rhythm (The Lion & the Unicorn), ‘Twas (The Antelope), Jack & The Beanstalk (Palace Theatre), Red Riding Hood (Everyman Palace Theatre) and Rodgers and Hammerstein Songbook (Epsom Playhouse). Theatre whilst training includes Carousel, Bring it On and Into the Woods.

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