The theme of Irish exiles and their disorientation receives a new slant in Loughlin Deegan's The Queen and Peacock, being premiered by Waterford's thriving Red Kettle company at Garter Lane next Thursday. This one is bang up to date, with the Celtic Tiger roaring and the Irish economy booming. Jobs are plentiful, and mass emigration has ended.
But people leave home for many reasons, and this play finds some of them in a rundown gay bar in Brixton. There may be a need simply to get away, from home, family or even oneself. The company's track record and reputation make it attractive to leading actors, and director Jim Nolan has assembled a cast of seasoned thespians to do his author justice.