Stones in His Pockets review Lancaster

From left Conan Sweeny and Charlie de Bromhead in Stones In His Pockets. Picture by Darren Andrews.

The theatregoers very occasionally get perplexed by, two actors taking on 15 characters in a story set around the making of a Hollywood film in a remote corner of Ireland.

The conjunction of the locals’ harsh reality with the make-believe world of movies provides a potent mix of comedy and drama. Jake (Charlie de Bromhead) and Charlie (Conan Sweeny) are two locals earning a princely £40 a day as film extras. The conceit here is that as ‘extras’ they are more than able to out-act everyone else on the set.

In the blink of an eye de Bromhead and Sweeny, two young Irish actors with impressive CVs, become all those people – from the sultry lead starlet to the bombastic director. It’s also a first co-production between The Dukes and The Theatre Chipping Norton, directed by John Terry. It runs until March 12 at the Dukes Theatre, Lancaster.