Marie Jones

Marie Jones is an acclaimed Northern Irish playwright and actress best known for her internationally successful play Stones in His Pockets. Born in Belfast in 1951, Jones began her career as an actress before turning her focus to writing, seeking to create roles and stories that better represented her community. Her work is often rooted in Irish identity, social issues, and the human consequences of political conflict, with a distinctive blend of humor and poignancy.

Jones co-founded the Charabanc Theatre Company in the early 1980s, an all-female touring group dedicated to telling stories from a woman’s perspective in Northern Ireland. This experience shaped her commitment to developing original theatre that was both entertaining and socially conscious. Later, she also helped establish DubbelJoint Productions, continuing her dedication to new, local voices in Irish theatre.

Her breakthrough came in 1996 with Stones in His Pockets, a two-hander in which two actors play more than a dozen characters in a small Irish village disrupted by the arrival of a Hollywood film crew. The play premiered in Belfast and quickly gained acclaim, transferring to London’s West End and later to Broadway. Praised for its wit, emotional depth, and inventive storytelling, Stones in His Pockets earned multiple awards, including the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2001.

Beyond Stones in His Pockets, Jones has written a number of other successful plays, including A Night in November, which explores sectarianism in Northern Ireland, and Women on the Verge of HRT, a comedic road-trip tale about aging, friendship, and pop music. Her work often centers working-class characters and brings a deeply human perspective to political and cultural tensions.

Marie Jones remains a vital figure in Irish theatre, known for her sharp dialogue, compassionate storytelling, and ability to balance humor with hard truths. Through her writing and advocacy, she has expanded opportunities for women in theatre and brought the everyday lives of Irish people to stages around the world.