Marie Jones: A Life in Theatre

In conversation with David Grant and featuring readings by Katie Tumelty
and Matt Forsythe

The name Marie Jones is synonymous with the best of Northern
Ireland theatre. Born in East Belfast Jones worked as an actor with James Young
at the Group Theatre before co-founding Charabanc Theatre Company in 1983. She
co-wrote the company’s first play, Lay Up
Your Ends and then produced new work from community research with Charabanc
on an annual basis until 1990.

She co-founded DubbelJoint Productions with which she toured A Night in November and an adaptation of
A Government Inspector across Ireland
and to London’s Tricycle Theatre. Women
on the Verge of HRT has won popular success and A Night in November has often been revived and produced
internationally. Her best-known work is Stones
in His Pockets, transferred from Belfast to London’s West End and Broadway,
as well as having been produced internationally. She won an Evening Standard
Award for Best West End Comedy, an Olivier Award, and Irish Times Award (Best
Production) for Stones, while its
actors were awarded Tony’s in the US.

Marie has been awarded two honorary doctorates of literature,
from Queens University and the University of Ulster. She has also been awarded
an OBE (Order of the British Empire).

We are delighted to welcome her to The Helicon where she
will talk about her stellar career with David Grant and the evening will
feature readings from her plays performed by acclaimed Northern Ireland actors Katie
Tumelty and Matt Forsythe.