“Howyeh Sharon?” - The Snapper at The Gate

Roddy' Doyle's 'The Snapper' opened in The Gate Theatre, Dublin, on Wednesday night. In 2018, the Gate Theatre commissioned Doyle to write a stage version of his much loved Dublin novel. This new adaptation played to packed houses in 2018, bringing in new audiences who had never visited the Gate before, and now the production is back on the Gate stage this summer.

The play offers a warm, frank and wickedly funny account of family life and pregnancy in Northside Dublin in the 1980s. The stage production brings The Snapper back home to the Rotunda Hospital (where Sharon’s baby ‘the snapper’ was born) which sits right next door to the Gate.

Irish director Róisín McBrinn, nominated as Best Director at the Irish Times Theatre Awards for the 2018 original production, has returned to direct a stellar cast including Simon Delaney as one of Ireland’s most beloved dads, Jimmy Rabbitte; and Hilda Fay as Sharon’s wise and tolerant mother, Veronica; Hazel Clifford made her stage debut as Sharon in her first professional role after graduating from The Lir Academy. Her performance as Sharon received a nomination for Best Actress in the Irish Times Theatre Awards  2018.
Lauren Larkin is new to the role of Jackie, Sharon’s best friend and loyal confidante. The children’s roles of Darren, Tracey and Linda Rabbitte are played by a new crop of some of Dublin’s youngest up and coming actors. 

Also nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award was the vivid depiction of 1980s Northside Dublin by set and costume designer Paul Wills. 

 

The 1993 film was based on Roddy Doyle's 1990 novel of the same name.  The family in Roddy Doyle’s original book are the Rabbittes but the family in the film version were called the Curleys. For this production the Gate went straight to the source with Roddy writing the script and the original Rabbitte family name being used. 

 

Creative Team
Director                                                  Róisín McBrinn
Set & Costume Designer                       Paul Wills 
Lighting Design                                      Paul Keogan 
Sound Design                                         Sinéad Diskin 
Choreographer                                     Paula O’Reilly 
Video Design                                          Conan McIvor

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Yvonne Burgess                                    Niamh Branigan
Sharon Rabbitte                                    Hazel Clifford
Jimmy Rabbitte                                      Simon Delaney
Veronica                                               Hilda Fay
Jackie O’Keefe                                     Lauren Larkin
George Burgess                                   Simon O’Gorman
Doris Burgess/ Radiologists/ Midwife    Carmel Stephens
Mary Curran                                         Amilia Stewart
Darren Rabbitte                                   Luke Fitzgerald
Tracy and Linda Rabbitte            Lilymai Clancy & Molly McCarthy
Jayna McCloskey & Ellie Mooney Emer Ryan & Alannah Prendergast

 

Season:

June 6 – August 24, 2019 Running Time: 2.5 hrs, incl interval
Shows: Mon to Sat - 7.30pm | Matinees: Sat - 2.30pm/Select Wed 2.30pm | 
Tickets: €15-42

The production contains adult themes and strong language. Parental discretion is advised.

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