Bush Reopens 24 Oct with Howie the Rookie

The Bush Theatre re-opens later this month, after a three-month refurbishment, with the return of Mark O'Rowe's multi award-winning Irish comedy, Howie the Rookie, which has a limited three-week run from 27 October to 11 November (previews from 24 October).

The fringe west London theatre, renowned for its devotion to new writing, has been dark since 17 July when the building's new owners, Bass Leisure Retail, decided that the pub above which the theatre is located should be converted into a new branch of the O'Neill's chain. As part of the work, the theatre has also undergone some essential renovations.

Directed by Mike Bradwell and starring Aidan Kelly and Karl Shiels, Howie the Rookie was a hit at the Bush last year. The play consists of the comic monologues of two young men whose paths cross in the underworld of Dublin where scabies is rife and you can get killed for the sake of a Siamese fighting-fish.

Amongst its many accolades, Howie the Rookie has received the Irish Times New Play Award 2000, the 1999 George Devine Award, the 1999 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Herald Angel for Best Production at the 1999 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the 1999 Barclays/TMA Award of Best Designer for Es Devlin. After its London run, the production will embark on a short UK tour before fulfilling US engagements in New York and San Francisco.

At the Bush, Howie the Rookie is followed by an autumn season which includes Ash Kotak's Bombay wedding farce, Hijra, from 15 November to 9 December, and the National Theatre of Brent's latest send-up, The Messiah, from 13 December to 20 January 2001.

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