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Theatre Tonight: CLUB by Grant Corr Play Reading

Grant Corr’s play Club tells the story of Russ, a newly single gay man in his 40s living in Belfast. Russ re-enters the dating scene but finds all is not as he remembers; the rules have changed and codes are blurred. Then he meets Alfie. Directed by Guy Retallack.

Written by Grant Corr.

Grant Corr: Grant is an award-winning writer from Belfast. He writes from radio, stage, and television. He has worked with Soho Theatre, Nottingham Play House, Omnibus Theatre Clapham, and the Old Red Lion Islington. His plays for young adults have been performed in London and Northern Ireland, as well as at Edinburgh Fringe.  Grant’s award-winning play Dead Boy Café will be performed at the Questors Theatre in 2022. Grant just completed a PhD in critical and creative writing at UEA. He is currently writing a drama series set in 1980s Belfast.

Directed by Guy Retallack.

Guy Retallack:
Guy recently directed John & Jen by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald at the Southwark Playhouse. The production received multiple nominations from the OFFIES, including Best Director. John & Jen is currently on BroadwayHD. Guy founded the BridgeHouse TheatreSE20 with his wife, actress Rachel Tucker. Most recently he has directed Twelfth Night (BridgeHouse TheatreSE20, The Globe, Shakespeare Festival, Neuss, Germany, & The Shakespeare Festival, Serbia) Macbeth (nominated for Best Director: Broadway World, & the OFFIES 2014), his own adaptation of A Christmas Carol (2019) and the UK premieres of It's A Wonderful Life, (2014/15 BHTSE20 & James Seabright, UK Tour), A Christmas Carol More or Less (2015), Another Night Before Christmas (2016) (Best Christmas Show Broadwayworld 2016), and Plaid Tidings (2018).

Guy directed David Hare's The Secret Rapture at the Lyric (West End) for Bill Kenwright, Liberty by Glyn Maxwell at Shakespeare’s Globe, London and Future Me by Stephen Brown (Theatre503 & ACE tour). For Climar Productions Guy has directed Steve Schalchlin's The Last Session and the multi award-winning Thrill Me by Stephen Dolginoff, which has played throughout the UK, including The Other Palace, Arcola, Tristan Bates, Charing Cross, Edinburgh and internationally (2011-2018). Thrill Me received 7 OFFIE Award Nominations, and it won the highly coveted Bobby Award (BroadwayBaby 2017 Edinburgh Festival). Guy has directed and taught at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Mountview, the British American Drama Academy (BADA) and the Royal Academy of Music amongst others. Recently Guy gave a series of Masterclasses at the New York Conservatory Of Dramatic Arts. Guy was also lead coach and director of The Spotlight Prize from 2013-2016. Guy was Literary Manager and Dramaturg for Bill Kenwright Productions from 2005-2007. Guy studied at Central School of Speech and Drama and was an assistant and associate director to some of the UK’s most illustrious directors including Stephen Daldry, Max Stafford-Clark, Jeremy Sams and Howard Davies. Guy was a Staff Director at the National Theatre, and Assistant Director for Out Of Joint & The Royal Court. Guy is regarded as one of the UK’s top 10 acting coaches. Guy’s website can be found at www.guyretallack.co

Starring:

Glenn Speers: Glenn Speers is a Northern Irish actor based primarily in New York, but with additional bases in London, Dublin and Belfast. Glenn was most recently part of the original Broadway cast of Tony award winning play, The Ferryman, directed by Sam Mendes. Glenn has worked steadily across all mediums in his acting career, compiling a varied resumé in TV, Film, Theatre, Commercials and VoiceOver. His TV work has included worldwide hits like Dr Who, and Ripper Street on the BBC, and cult UK tv series Misfits. Film work has included Irish productions Perrier's Bounty alongside Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson, and acclaimed real life drama Noble. Glenn has been a principal cast member in acclaimed Roddy Doyle musical comedy,The Commitments, directed by Jamie Lloyd, at the Palace Theatre in London's West End. In 2017 Glenn was a principal cast member of Oliver award winning play The Ferryman, in the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End, directed by Oscar winning Director Sam Mendes. In late 2018 Glenn was part of the original Broadway cast for the New York production of The Ferryman, at the Bernard B Jacobs theatre, which went on to win four Tony Awards, including Best Play. The acclaimed Irish comedy short, The Cocaine Famine, in which Glenn co starred, won Best Short Film at The Greenwich Village Film Festival in New York in 2019. His role in the same film has seen Glenn nominated for best supporting actor at the 2020 Intercontinental Film Festival in New York. Since September 2018, Glenn has lived in New York City, having fallen in love with the City during the ten month run of The Ferryman on Broadway.

Joseph Jones: Joseph Jones (Alfie) is originally from Belfast, Ireland. Joseph, a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse, is an actor, model and Gaeilgeoir (Irish language speaker). As an actor, his credits include his return to the stage after lockdown with the new play Order Up by Deirdre MacNamara at the Chain Theatre, A Therapy Session with Myself (Dir. Anthony J. Piccione), My Life Among the Serial Killers (Dir. Jacob Patorti), Christ Detained by the DHS (Dir. Anthony P. Pennino), Middletown (Dir. Sean Haggerty), commercials with Barneys New York, Direct Line Insurance with Harvey Keitel and others. When Joseph isn’t acting, he can be seen on runways in New York, Paris, Milan and London or spreading his grá (love) of the Irish language at the New York Irish Center and Irish Arts Center.
He would like to thank everyone involved for such a rewarding experience.

Earlier Event: June 22
Wednesday Lunch Club
Later Event: June 25
Senior Computer Club