Solo tour-de-force Scorch puts gender identity centre stage at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scorch is presented by Primecut Productions at Paines Plough’s Roundabout at Summerhall and sees the Fringe debut for award-winning Northern Irish playwright Stacey Gregg. Directed by Emma Jordan (Paul Hamlyn Cultural Entrepreneurship Breakthrough Award) and performed by Amy McAllister (Call the Midwife, Philomena) the production showcases the work of three of the most exciting voices in Northern Irish theatre today. The play is a new original work from Belfast playwright Stacey Gregg and explores issues surrounding gender disclosure experienced by a contemporary teenager.
Scorch
Scorch gained further international recognition after it won the Irish Times theatre award for Best New Play of 2015 and has recently won Best New Play at the Writer’s Guild of Ireland ZeBBie Awards.
Inspired by recent court cases and set in the round, Amy McAllister plays Kes, a troubled teenage girl struggling with her gender identity. Kes explores her sexuality and gender by posing as a boy who embarks on an intimate relationship with another girl, which leads to devastating effects both legally and personally. At times funny, poignant and explosive, Scorch is a story of first love through the eyes of a gender-curious teen and examines how the human story often gets lost amidst the headlines.
Presented by Prime Cut Productions; Scorch is directed by Emma Jordan, produced by Una NicEoin and written by Stacey Gregg. Featuring Design/LX by Ciaran Bagnall, Sound Design by Carl Kennedy and Costume Design by Enda Kenny. The production and associated outreach activity is made possible through funding provided by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
2016 marks the third year of Roundabout, Paines Plough’s award-winning portable in-the-round auditorium. It will take up residency once again at Summerhall during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 4 – 29 August.
“The real life issue takes on heightened dramatic resonance, fractured and splintered by Gregg’s syncopated prose style”
★★★★ Irish Times
McAllister deftly deals with the emotions involved: incredulity, sadness, fear and the lingering confusion”
★★★★ GiggingNI
Listings Information:
Scorch
Venue: Paines Plough’s Roundabout at Summerhall
Dates & Times: 18.05 (55 mins), 5 – 28 August (not Tuesdays 9, 16, 23)
Tickets: Previews 5,6,7, August: £9
10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29 August: £14 (full) £12 (conc)
8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 August: £16 (full) £14 (conc)
Box Office: 0131 226 000 / 0131 560 1581 tickets.edfringe.com or s
Prime Cut Productions Theatre Company. Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and formed in 1992, Prime Cut Productions is at the forefront of contemporary international theatre across the island of Ireland. With over 30 Irish and Northern Irish premieres to their name, Prime Cut have a reputation for producing award-winning, critically acclaimed professional theatre, that challenges, provokes, inspires, entertains and enthrals.
About Paines Plough. Plough is the UK’s national theatre of new plays. The company commissions and produces the best playwrights and tours their plays far and wide. Whether you’re in Liverpool or Lyme Regis, Scarborough or Southampton, a Paines Plough show is coming to a theatre near you soon.
Paines Plough was formed in 1974 over a pint of Paines bitter in the Plough pub. Since then they’ve produced more than 130 new productions by world renowned playwrights like Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Dennis Kelly and Mike Bartlett.
2016 marks the third year of Roundabout, Paines Plough’s award-winning portable in-the-round auditorium. The Roundabout season will preview from 19 – 24 July at Hackney Showroom in London before taking up residency once again at Summerhall during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 4 – 29 August
