THE ROSE TATTOO

BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

IN A NEW TRANSLATION BY VANESSA FIELDING AND CATHERINE JOYCE.

Presented by special arrangement with the University of the South, Swanee, Tennessee

CLICK HERE FOR DIGITAL PROGRAMME

The Complex reawakens Tennessee William’s classic play The Rose Tattoo, in a transformative new translation by Vanessa Fielding and Catherine Joyce, resetting William’s play into a modern Irish Traveller context.

The Complex announce this solo production with a new version of The Rose Tattoo, reawakening Tennessee William’s play and its theme of female emotional and sexual emancipation, but within a brand new context, never seen before on any stage worldwide. (Previews May 9 & 10) Premieres from May 11 and runs til May 20 at The Complex, Dublin 7.

Delving into matters of marginalisation as it highlights the power of love and sexuality to redeem life. This new production through its language and the play’s transposition into the Traveller community, will create something authentic, contemporary and uniquely Irish.

Staged within a modern Irish setting, award-winning actor Denise McCormack (Love Hate / Eastenders / Fair City / Red Rock) leads a talented cast of actors and musicians from Traveller and non-Traveller backgrounds - showing an incredible diversity that this production presents and a welcome opportunity for actors from traveller backgrounds to be seen on a professional stage, and in a classic play.

World famous Uillean piper Paddy Keenan will join the cast to play live as part of each performance on the immersive set designed by the celebrated designer Sabine Dargent. Dargent takes advantage of the scope available in The Depot space at The Complex to recreate an abstract experience of a halting site,

Williams has given us so many blistering dramas to revel in since the 1950’s, like ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ and ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. In The Rose Tattoo his scorching, classic tale of a woman’s journey from widowhood to self-determination and sexual freedom is a massive twentieth century benchmark story. This production, reset in a modern Irish Traveller context, addresses themes of culture, faith, rights to education and bodily autonomy, reminding us that we are all socially conditioned and this play relates to us all. 

The Rose Tattoo was last staged in Dublin in 1957 where it was shut down for its racy content and where a condom was produced on stage - causing the Catholic church to close the whole Festival and imprison the Festival Director. The Irish production team for this version of the play have found no record that it has been professionally produced since that time in Ireland, though it has received some high-profile productions in the West End and on Broadway. And it was an unprecedented move that the Tennessee Williams Estate has given permission for the play, originally set in the Italian community of 1950s New Orleans, to be transposed into a modern Irish Traveller context, to The Complex production team.

Presented by The Complex, who with the Abbey Theatre produced the multi award-winning and critically acclaimed ‘Dublin Will Show You How’ by Tracy Martin in 2019. 

And against all the odds, has brought Dublin’s north inner city’s newest arts centre to Dublin 7. The Complex is now producing work and The Rose Tattoo is the first in a line of three new-large scale, immersive productions in The Depot.

On Sunday the 14th May, the play takes a break and The Complex presents Conversations About The Rose Tattoo (Tickets €2) at 5pm with speakers including Catherine Joyce, Michael Collins, Rosaleen McDonagh and chair Vincent Browne. This will be followed by Paddy Keenan Live (Tickets €15.50) on the set of The Rose Tattoo, doors 7pm wwith the amazing piper Cyril O'Donoghue  (Fisher Street, Damp in the Attic), Colleen Shanks (The Nashville Celts, Bill Grogran's Goat, Big Fun) and Eamonn de Barra (musician of the Year 2000, Slide).

CAST:

Denise McCormack

Christine Collins

James Collins

Lloyd Cooney

Shauna Higgins

Paddy Keenan  

Bairbre Ní Chaoimh  

Aisling O'Mara

David O’Meara

CREATIVE TEAM:

Translated by Vanessa Fielding and Catherine Joyce

Director: Vanessa Fielding

Consultant: Catherine Joyce

General Manager/Producer: Annie Lynott

Producer: Aisling Ormonde

Set And Costumes: Sabine Dargent

Lighting: Conleth White

Sound: Simon Cullen

Production Manager: Ben Moore

Stage Manager: Aoife Malin

Costume Supervisor: Therese Mckeone

Costume Maker: Caroline Butler

Costume Maker: Veronika Romanova

Asm: Tiel Starzyski

Design Assistant: Aidan Forde

Design Assistant: Eugenia Genunchi

Pr And Publicity: Conleth Teevan

Photography: George Hooker

Poster Artwork: Peaches Ink

Poster Design: Padhraig Nolan

Hair And Makeup: Sarah Mccann

Asm: Maeve Smith

Gamon Language Assistant: Oein Debhairduin

TICKETS

*There are a limited number of concession tickets available per show.

Standard (including fees) €32.50

Early Bird  (including fees) €25.00 - available until 20 March 2023

Preview 9th & 10th May (including fees) €25.00

Early Bird  (including fees) €30.00 - available until 20 April 2023

Concession (including fees, ID required) €15.00 - *limited per show for unwaged, student, senior citizen (over 65)

ACCESSIBILITY

The Depot @ The Complex is wheelchair accessible. Please contact us in advance to arrange access. Contact shane@thecomplex.ie

SEATING

This production is fully seated but seats are unallocated.

DOORS

Doors will be open from 6.45pm (1:15pm for the matinee on Thursday 18th May)

BAR

A full bar will be open from 6.45pm - 7:15pm and during the interval.

RUNNING TIME

There will be a 15 minute interval and estimated end time is 10:15pm (4:45pm matinee)

PRODUCTION

In The Depot @ The Complex, 12 Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7, D07XR70. Immersive setting.

COLLABORATORS AND ADVISERS

Catherine Joyce, Rosaleen McDonagh, Pat Nevin, John Connors, Tom Mulligan, George Hooker and Peaches Ink.

The Complex is proudly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin City Council and the Dept of Tourism, Media, Culture, Arts, Sport and the Gaeltacht. Sponsored by Diageo.

This project is supported by Creative Ireland, The Arts Council, Department of Health and Health Service Executive.