Latest news with #PlayboyoftheWesternWorld
Extra.ie
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Nicola Coughlan set for major reunion with fellow Derry Girls star
It looks like a Derry Girls reunion is on the cards, and we couldn't be more excited! Nicola Coughlan and Siobhán McSweeney, also known as Clare Devlin and Sister Michael, are set to reunite on the stage in a star-studded revival of The Playboy of the Western World. The dynamic duo will also be joined by Normal People actor, Éanna Hardwicke, rounding out an incredible Irish cast. It looks like a Derry Girls reunion is on the cards and we couldn't be more excited! Pic: Lisa O'Connor/Shutterstock for SAG The highly anticipated production will be directed by the artistic director of the Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland, Caitríona McLaughlin. Nicola shared the news on social media, writing: 'Playboy of the Western World at the National Theatre. Reuniting with an old friend for a new adventure doing an Irish classic. So excited to be bringing the Wesht of Ireland to the @nationaltheatre.' The play's synopsis reads: 'Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub claiming that he's killed his father. Nicola Coughlan and Siobhán McSweeney, also known as Clare Devlin and Sister Michael, are set to reunite on the stage in a star-studded revival of The Playboy of the Western World. Pic: Rowben Lantion/BAFTA via Getty Images 'Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. The welcome murderer wins hearts and races as he beds himself into village life. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene…' The production will be staged in the Lyttelton Theatre in London from 4 December 2025 to 28 February 2026. Nicola isn't the only Irish star returning to the stage, with Paul Mescal taking the short stroll up O'Connell Street to appear on the Abbey Theatre stage in 2027. The Normal People and Gladiator II star is set to make his debut at London's National Theatre in A Whistle In The Dark, which will then transfer to the Abbey.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nicola Coughlan shares her excitement as she reveals she's set to reunite with Derry Girls co-star for new project
Nicola Coughlan has shared her excitement as she revealed she's set to reunite with one of her Derry Girls co-star for a new project. The actress, 38, - who played Clare Devlin in the Channel 4 sitcom - will soon star in show Playboy of the Western World at the National Theatre. And Siobhán McSweeney who played the iconic role of Sister Michael will be acting alongside her. Sharing the news on her Instagram on Tuesday, Nicola wrote: 'Reuniting with an old friend for a new adventure doing an Irish classic 'So excited to be bringing the Wesht of Ireland to the @nationaltheatre.' Sharing the news herself, Siobhán penned on her socials: 'What a delight to finally reveal this. Luckiest girl in the world. 'Thank you @nationaltheatre for allowing me back.' The Playboy of the Western World is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1907. A synopsis reads: 'Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub claiming that he's killed his father. 'Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. The welcome murderer wins hearts and races as he beds himself into village life. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene…' Caitríona McLaughlin (Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin) directs Nicola, Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhán in John's story of youth and self-discovery. Last week, Nicola appeared smitten with boyfriend Jake Dunn as they made their red carpet debut at the Bafta TV and Craft awards nominees party. The actress and her Renegade Nell star partner, 25, could barely keep their eyes off each other as they arrived at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Nicola looked elegant for the evening in a figure-hugging black jacket dress which featured an eye-catching tulle bow on the back. And Siobhán McSweeney who played the iconic role of Sister Michael will be acting alongside her Sharing the news herself, Siobhán penned on her socials: 'What a delight to finally reveal this. Luckiest girl in the world' She layered the statement garment over a pair of black tights as she slipped into a pair of towering black platform heels. To finish her chic ensemble, the blonde beauty toted her belongings around in a small satin micro bag. Meanwhile Jake opted for a much more casual appearance as he stepped out in a pair of white trainers and a two-piece navy suit. He layered his suit over a burgundy wool jumper and a white shirt which he opted to keep the top button open. Nicola went Instagram official with Jake in February as she took to her Stories to celebrate her boyfriend's 25th birthday with a sweet post. She shared a photo of Dunn sitting on what appears to be a set as he looked up at the sky. 'Happy Birthday ♥️,' she wrote on the post. Nicola and Jake met after being after being introduced by her Derry Girls co-star and close friend Louisa Harland. Following months of hiding the budding relationship, Nicola and Jake, finally confirmed their romance in October after they were spotted returning home hand-in-hand from a pub trip in North London. Friends of the couple told MailOnline: 'They're absolutely besotted with each other and have so much fun together. 'Despite their busy schedules, they've slotted into each other's lives so easily as they share such a big group of mutual friends.' Jake, who graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2023, has appeared in projects opposite Nicola's Derry Girls co-stars Louisa Harland and Dylan Llewellyn, 32. Like Nicola, the London-born actor has also starred in a period drama, Disney's Renegade Nell, opposite Louisa. The source added: 'When Derry Girls ended Nicola, Dylan and Louisa remained the best of friends and always supported each other in their careers so it made sense Nicola met Jake.' While still at drama school, Jake was booked on for the Channel 4 Big Boys opposite Dylan and was written by Jack Rooke who is a close friend of Nicola's. The gang of friends are big supporters of each other's work and are often spotted hanging out in North West London where Nicola has a house in the trendy Stoke Newington area.
Irish Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Paul Mescal to return to Irish stage in ‘taut, explosive, pressure cooker of a play'
Paul Mescal is to return to the Irish stage to star in A Whistle in the Dark, by Tom Murphy. He will lead the cast of the play, about an Irish emigrant in the English midlands who tries in vain to escape his violent family, when it comes to Dublin in 2027, after opening at the National Theatre in London. The coproduction is being directed by the Abbey's artistic director, Caitríona McLaughlin, who calls A Whistle in the Dark, which was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1961, 'a taut, explosive, pressure cooker of a play'. It will be the first time that the UK National Theatre will have staged Murphy's work. Mescal, whose first professional role was in The Great Gatsby , at the Gate Theatre in Dublin in 2017, appeared at the Abbey the following year in Asking for It , a dramatisation of Louise O'Neill's bestselling book. READ MORE Earlier this year he appeared on stage in New York in the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire; he won an Olivier Award for best actor for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski when the production ran in the West End of London in 2023. Murphy's powerful and menacing masterpiece, which he wrote at the age of 25, centres on the Carney family visiting their emigrant son in Coventry, and their inability to escape tribal violence and twisted masculinity. The play is the best known and most performed of the acclaimed and influential Irish playwright, who died in 2018. McLaughlin will also direct JM Synge's The Playboy of the Western World for the UK National Theatre's Christmas season this year, with an all-star Irish cast that includes Declan Conlon, Nicola Coughlan, Lorcan Cranitch, Megan Cusack, Éanna Hardwicke, Siobhán McSweeney and Marty Rea. McLaughlin said it was 'very meaningful for us at the Abbey Theatre to have such fulsome engagement in this next chapter of the National Theatre of Great Britain. It will be an honour to bring Playboy of the Western World and A Whistle in the Dark before audiences in London. Every generation deserves to see these two seminal works of the Irish canon.' She was 'thrilled to take on these two great Irish plays. The Playboy of the Western World holds a special place in my heart because it is synonymous with the origins of our theatre and has such significance to the history of our art form. A Whistle in the Dark is a taut, explosive, pressure cooker of a play. 'Both plays hold in common the opportunity to reinvent yourself, the desire to realise one's own potential, and what happens when that opportunity is squandered or lost.' Mescal, who is from Maynooth, in Co Kildare, and studied at the Lir Academy, in Dublin, shot to fame following his portrayal of Conall in Normal People, the 2020 television adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel. He was nominated for an Oscar for Aftersun and recently starred in Gladiator II. His Abbey debut was the stage version of Louise O'Neill's Asking for It.
RTÉ News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Paul Mescal and Nicola Coughlan take to the stage in two separate shows
Paul Mescal and Nicola Coughlan are due to return to the stage in separate productions in Dublin and London. In what will be the first chance to see Gladiator II star Mescal on an Irish stage since his breakthrough big screen successes, he will appear at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 2027 in a staging of Tom Murphy's A Whistle in the Dark, following its run at the National Theatre in London. The acclaimed 1961 play tells the story of Michael Carney, who settles in Coventry with his wife Betty, and attempts to forge a new life for himself. However, leaving Ireland does not set him free, and once the Carneys descend, the play shows the impact of tribal violence and the devastation it brings in its wake. Mr Mescal, who shot to fame after appearing in Normal People in 2020, made his stage debut in 2017 while still a student at the Lir School of Acting in an immersive production of The Great Gatsby at The Gate Theatre in Dublin. He has since starred in numerous movies and performed on the West End and Broadway stages to great acclaim. It was also announced this evening that Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan will appear in a new production of JM Synge's The Playboy of the Western Worl d at the National Theatre from December of this year until February 2026. Both Playboy and A Whistle in the Dark will be directed by the Abbey's artistic director Caitriona McLaughlin, who has a very busy schedule ahead of her. It's an all-Irish affair for the London production of Playboy, with Ms Coughlan joining cast members including her fellow Derry Girls star Siobhan McSweeny, Declan Conlon, Lorcan Cranitch, Megan Cusack, Éanna Hardwicke and Marty Rea. In Playboy of the Western World, Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub, claiming that he has killed his father. Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene . . . The much-loved Playboy is inextricably linked with the Abbey after it sparked riots when it was first unveiled at theatre over a century ago in 1907 The National Theatre says that the show will "honour the rich heritage and influence of Irish drama on British theatre. " Commenting, Caitríona McLaughlin said: "It will be an honour to bring Playboy of the Western World and A Whistle in the Dark before audiences in London. Every generation deserves to see these two seminal works of the Irish canon." She added, "I am thrilled to take on these two great Irish plays. The Playboy of the Western World holds a special place in my heart because it is synonymous with the origins of our theatre. "And A Whistle in the Dark is a taut, explosive, pressure cooker of a play and remains Murphy's best-known and most performed play. " Today's announcement follows the Abbey Theatre's own announcement of its 2025 programme, which foregrounds the best of new Irish playwriting, with six world premieres from playwrights Kevin Barry, Barbara Bergin, Marina Carr, Carys D. Coburn, Caitríona Daly and Jimmy McAleavey, set for the Abbey and Peacock Stages.
