David Cregan – författare

Every morning, George Jackson, a bank-clerk from Peckham, believes that two million pounds will miraculously arrive in the post and when it doesn't he is miserable. Harry, George's son, sends a message to a mysterious website - unicornhelp@elysianfields.com, requesting happiness for his dad. He summons the help of a troublesome magical Unicorn, who wishes to be useful not just beautiful, and his keeper, Stanley. However, George is only interested in wealth and the Unicorn has to teach him some valuable lessons before peace is restored to the Jackson house.

This book is the broad application of queer theories to the original plays of the contemporary Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness, the only author in Ireland to consistently utilize gay and lesbian themes in his writing. McGuinness continually represents sexual difference in his character development in a way that previous Irish authors have not. In particular McGuinness portrays homosexual protagonists in his dramas, allowing the queer the narrative prerogative, not merely a secondary role in the formation of theatrical perspective. Often it is the homosexual who tells the story or alters the plot through his or her alternative perspective.This book not only analyzes the queer in McGuinness’s work, but also contributes to a widening of the conversation and criticism on Irish theatre in general. Its implementation of the internationally recognized paradigm of analysis, queer theory, is cutting-edge in its contribution to the general field of Irish studies as well. As a result of its two-fold agenda of theatrical and cultural analysis, this book not only brings together theories of the queer and the theatre of McGuinness, but it also maps the way in which this queer dramaturgy intersects with contemporary Irish society as it faces a new era of cultural re-invention.

Includes the plays Whispers Along the Patio, Nice Dorothy, The Last ThrashIn Whispers Along the Patio retired Matthew is happy eating his breakfast on his patio in the morning sunlight. However, constant interruptions from his do-gooding niece, June, force him to seek sanctuary in Kew Gardens. There he meets young businessman Tony and Tania, a beautiful but bewildering visitor from south-east Europe.Two paintings and a bizarre set of events bring five very different and lonely people together to dine by candlelight. But will the pursuit of private passions cause chaos among this disparate company?In Nice Dorothy matters are complicated when a 40 year old spinster and a young man of 25 fall in love across a crowded room.The Last Thrash is set in a prep school upset by the discovery of a pupil smoking cannabis just as a minor royal is about to attend the school. It isa comic critique of the propagation of the class system within private education.

In this new comedy of sex and politics, an anxious group of relations and dependants struggle for supremacy in a garden in the north of England. Toby, a sprightly 91-year-old, wants to keep young by buying and tending a part of the big garden next door. Gerald is trying to bed as many attractive women as possible in between buying up small shops in South East Asia to turn into supermarkets. Daniel struggles to get past chapter two of the book he's writing, whilst Roderick watches helplessly as his wife sets her sights on lecherous Gerald.The whole mixed bag seem to seek reassurance that they mean something - if only they could think what it is...Summer Again opened at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond in October 2004.

This book contains an exciting collection of essays focusing on a variety of alternative performances happening in contemporary Ireland. While it highlights the particular representations of gay and lesbian identity it also brings to light how diversity has always been part of Irish culture and is, in fact, shaping what it means to be Irish today. Inside there are provocative chapters from scholars, theatre producers, and theatre artists from around the world analysing everything from the drag scene in Dublin to the Gay Pride Parades in Belfast. Cathleen Ni Houlihan will never be the same!