Meanwhile, the opening night of Love and Understanding by London playwright Joe Penhall in Project Cube passes off without incident. Prior to the Dublin opening, the production, which ran for three nights in Limerick's Belltable arts centre, had faced some hiccups. John O'Brien, director, found out fatherhood was imminent as he was jumping into the car to travel south. So the young director, now father to a new baby boy, never made it to Limerick, where a bat in the theatre caused much distraction during one of the performances.
Penhall, also author of Some Voices, doesn't make opening night; he has stayed in London to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday. Winner of last year's Olivier Award for Best New Play, Love and Understanding is an intense, bitter and depressing drama. Dublin theatre company Purple Heart has teamed up with ═omhβ Ildβnach Theatre Company to produce the play, which runs until June 30th.
Catching up at the interval are Bairbre N∅ Chaoimh of Calypso Theatre Company - who's currently working on a new play by Roddy Doyle called Look Who's Coming to Dinner for the upcoming Dublin Theatre Festival; David Horan, director of The World's Wife - a play running at the Bewley's CafΘ Theatre on Grafton Street; and Michael Flood from Bewley's CafΘ Theatre.