BIG TELLY TAKES ON THE BIG CITY

I bet you didn't know Portstewart regularly hosts the big and the beautiful in the world of acting! Big Telly Theatre Company, Northern Ireland's only professional theatre company in the regions, embarks on a new adventure this week from Portstewart across the water to the lights of London with the revival of the popular comedy classic 'The Playboy of the Western World', following its phenomenal success touring Ireland last year.

Big Telly opens this week at the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke with The Playboy of The Western World as the flagship production of their Irish Season for a performance run until 9 October. With the first preview performance this evening, Big Telly's Artistic Director, Zoë Seaton, is looking forward to bringing the company's work to the London market. "Big Telly is very fortunate to work with such talented and committed actors on The Playboy, and I am delighted that Big Telly's work continues to attract venues and audiences from across Ireland and the UK," Zoë said.

Big Telly's acclaimed revival of this popular comedy classic tells the tale of 'ugly young streeler' Christy Mahon who arrives in an isolated shebeen and impresses all with his gory confession. Christy is on the run after splitting open his father's head with a shovel and his story grows with his reputation until the whole town declares him the champion 'Playboy of the Western World'. The seductive power of his tell-and-kiss story reaches dizzy heights and our unlikely Playboy is officially having the life of riley. A wake, a sports day and a marriage proposal mean there's never a dull moment.

Big Telly's refreshing approach on the popular Irish Classic is reflected in the tremendous performance from the exquisite John Hewitt, RTE award-winner, and Seamus Allen, and the unfaultable cast starring John Lovett, Eamonn Hunt from BBC's Ballykissangel series, Abigail McGibbon, Lynda Gough, Michael O'Reilly and Jack Walsh.

Big Telly and the Haymarket Theatre are confident of its success in London, and hope to continue to maintain relations for the future. Big Telly anticipates further opportunity to tour this popular comedy throughout theatres in the UK next year.

Big Telly Theatre Company is a professional theatre company formed in 1987 and based in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. The company designs and delivers theatre productions, interactive workshop programmes and community creativity projects, which it mainly tours throughout Northern and Southern Ireland. It concentrates on the visual potential of theatre through fusion with other art forms such as dance, music, circus, magic and film to create a unique sense of spectacle. Big Telly's work is driven by a determination to offer audiences entertainment that surprises, stimulates and ignites the imagination.