The ninth world première at the Everyman Theatre in less than 3 years is a dark and brutal thriller set against the backdrop of wartime Merseyside. In his professional homecoming, award-winning Liverpool writer Stephen Sharkey brings us a story of love, family and the price of retribution. Directed by Serdar Bilis and featuring Liverpool actors Cathy Tyson, Leanne Best and Mark Arends, THE MAY QUEEN premières at the Liverpool Everyman from Friday 4 - Saturday 26 May 2007.
Frank Donohue is dead. Murdered. And as the culprits bury his death in the chaos of the Blitz, his daughter Theresa prays for revenge. Revenge for her father, her brother and herself.
Liverpool born writer STEPHEN SHARKEY has just completed a year as one of 'The 50', a Royal Court/BBC new writing initiative. His plays include Ion (The Gate); The Glass Slipper and The Old Curiosity Shop (Southwark Playhouse); Oblomov, The Gambler and Tomorrow Is A Lovely Day (Pleasance Edinburgh) and for radio: All Of You On The Good Earth which won the 2004 Society of Authors Imison Award, The Visitation and the forthcoming Kepler's Mum's A Witch for Radio 4 this Christmas. He is currently working on a new version of A Christmas Carol for Northern Stage in Newcastle and a musical for children based on The Birds by Aristophanes. He curates 'The Miniaturist's, a regular night of short plays at the Arcola Theatre in London which will be coming to the Everyman on June 6th as part of the Everyword literary festival.
CATHY TYSON, who began her acting career at the Liverpool Everyman, joins a wonderful ensemble cast . She joined the Everyman Youth Theatre at 17, and in 1984 Cathy joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her theatre credits include leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, Talawa and Theatr Clwyd. She is best known for her striking debut in the film Mona Lisa, for which she won a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress, and also for her roles on television in Band of Gold and most recently Grange Hill. In THE MAY QUEEN Cathy plays 'Angela Donohue', mother to Teresa and Michael.
LEANNE BEST (Our Country's Good, The Flint St Nativity, The Way Home, Unprotected, The Morris) takes the role of avenging daughter 'Theresa Donohue'. MARK ARENDS (What Every Woman Knows, Urban Legend, Silent Witness) plays her brother 'Michael Donohue' who is missing in action presumed dead. MICHAEL RYAN (Paradise Bound, Dream Team) plays 'JJ Collins', Michael's friend and army colleague. NIALL REFOY (Uncle Vanya, Alls Well That Ends Well, Pericles) plays Angela's lover 'Vinnie Phelan', with PAUL DUCKWORTH (Unprotected, Urban Legend, The Dover Cliff Dweller) as his best friend 'Colin'. 'Liliane', a Jewish German refugee befriended by Michael and JJ, is played by ALISA ARNAH (Jane Eyre - BBC). DENIS QUILLIGAN (Juno and the Paycock, Father Ted, The Projectionist) is family friend 'Father Quiggan'.
Director SERDAR BILIS is part-time Associate Director at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and the Arcola Theatre in London. Originally from Istanbul, he trained as an actor before completing a directing course at Middlesex University and the Royal National Theatre. Serdar's directing credits include A Family Affair by Ostrovsky, Tartuffe by Molière and Night Just Before the Forests by Bernard Marie Koltes all at the Arcola.
An exciting team of specialists has been brought together to create a truly thrilling and stylized production. This includes lighting designer Ian Scott with music and sound design by Dan Jones, and Frantic Assembly's Scott Graham as movement director. Colin Richmond has designed a visually striking set evoking the play's themes and Liverpool during the Blitz, promising audiences an amazing experience. -- www.everymanplayhouse.com
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