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Overview

Synopsis

Stones In His Pockets takes place in a scenic spot near small town in County Kerry which has been taken over by a Hollywood film crew. Charlie Conlan and Jake Quinn have been employed as extras on the film and tell the story of the impact this movie set has upon the local community. Charlie claims to be escaping the aftermath of a failed business venture and has great aspirations to get his own script made into a film. Jake has recently returned from America and is enthralled by the beauty of the movie’s leading lady until it becomes clear that she only wants to use him to appropriate his accent. The play depicts the local excitement and enthusiasm at being part of a huge movie, but the glamour quickly fades as the reality of being an extra kicks in. Charlie and Jake play thirteen other eccentric and eclectic characters between them, including Caroline, the American movie star who struggles to do a convincing Irish accent; Clem, the English director; and Mickey, a local extra in his seventies. They tell the story of local teenager, Sean Harkin, who commits suicide by drowning with stones in his pockets after being humiliated by the movie’s star and thrown out of his local pub. Following his suicide, the town must come to terms with his death and the apparent disinterest from the film crew who, initially, are unwilling to interrupt filming to let the extras go to the funeral. Jake blames himself for not helping Sean when he was in need and mocks Charlie for his continual optimism. The two men decide to rewrite Charlie’s script to tell Sean’s story but Clem informs them that it isn’t exciting or glamorous enough to ever succeed. With just two actors playing over a dozen parts, Stones In His Pockets is a comedic yet tragic take on the effects of the Hollywood dream in a small Irish town.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1999
Genres
Drama, Comedy
Settings
Simple/No Set
Time & Place
ireland, county kerry
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Nick Hern Book
Ideal For
All-Male Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult Characters

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Jake Quinn

Lead

Male

Spoken

Charlie Conlan

Lead

Male

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Key Terms

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher