McGuinness' Kitchen Premieres at Old Vic

The British premiere of Frank McGuinness's Dolly West's Kitchen arrives at the Old Vic this spring. The production from Dublin's Abbey Theatre, directed by Patrick Mason, opens on 4 May 2000.

As World War II rages on in Europe, in Donegal there's another war closer to home. In Dolly West's kitchen, her family has its own conflicts to face as their lives are transformed by the arrival of Allied troops across the border in Derry. War changes everything - its tragedies, its survivals and the history of the West family will be changed forever.

McGuinness' other recent stage work includes Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and Mutabilitie. His new version of Strindberg's Miss Julie is currently playing at the Haymarket, starring Christopher Eccleston, and his version of Ibsen's Peer Gynt will open at the National in October.

Director Patrick Mason has brought several Irish power plays to London over the years, including Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa and McGuinness' Observe the Sons of Ulter Marching Towards the Somme. Later this year, hHe will also direct McGuinness' version of Peer Gynt, which was directed by Yukio Ninagawa at the Barbican in 1994.

A new cast of Dolly West's Kitchen will take over for the British presentation, but details have not yet been confirmed.

Prior to the arrival of McGuinness' play, the Oxford Stage company will move into the Old Vic for a brief run of its touring production of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. Directed by Dominic Dromgoole and starring Jordan Murphy and Eileen Walsh in the leads, Troilus and Cressida plays from 31 March to 15 April 2000, previews from 29 March.

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