Press Release for “THE STONE”
For immediate release:
“The Stone” - The Alice Kyteler haunting new musical to premier in Watergate Theatre 5th October Come witness the spectacular, originally written and composed musical about an Anglo-Irish noblewoman accused of witchcraft in the fourteenth century
A HAUNTING new musical which tells the story of a Kilkenny woman accused of witchcraft is about to open at The Watergate theatre, a moving production which will have theatre-goers on the edge of their seats and afraid to venture into the dark.
‘The Stone’ musical tells the story of Alice Kyteler – a rich woman who will do just about anything to stay rich and a bishop who will stop at nothing to destroy her. A superb stage adaption of the novel ‘The Stone’ will come to life on stage at the Watergate Theatre from October 5th, running for 4 nights until October 8th.
Prepare to be amazed and astounded by a talented cast and fantastic musical numbers which tell the story of four husbands, famine, invasion, plague, a witch trial, burning at the stake, destroying the House of Kyteler and the collapsing of St. Canice’s Cathedral.
The show’s creators are all from Kilkenny and the original music and lyrics are written by singer/composer and director, Jason Paul Ryan and composer, Tom Bolger.
Last month the show’s cast gave a taster of what’s to come by performing at the launch night in Alice’s old dwellings Kyteler’s Inn - formerly known as the House of Kyteler. The audience really got a true glimpse into the life of the locals in these fascinating times.
Dame Alice Kyteler’s case was one of the first of its kind, following not long after Pope John XXII added witchcraft to the list of heresies in 1320. Dame Alice was married four times. John le Poer, her fourth husband, was convinced that she was poisoning him. On his death her children immediately accused her of sorcery. Judgement was finally passed against her in 1325 by Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory. But the night before her scheduled execution she disappeared, never to be heard of again.
The story of the musical is based on the novel ‘The Stone’ by Claire Nolan who is also one of the co-collaborators of the stage show. Nolan herself gives another spooky element to the background of the show as on the wall of Alice’s former home in Kyteler’s Inn is a portrait of Dame Alice Kyteler which hangs beside a photograph of Claire Nolan. The duo, who are separated by hundreds of years, look like twin sisters.
In 2008 Claire Nolan, an administrator at the University College Dublin, originally from Kilkenny, published The Stone, a biography of the notorious noblewoman. Claire has just released the second edition of ‘The Stone’ and it can be bought in all good book shops or visit www.clairenolan.com.
In ‘The Stone’ musical Alice Kyteler is played by Rebecca Murphy; her servants Philip of Kilkenny played by Jason Paul Ryan and his forbidden love Petronella de Meath by Sarah Brennan and Bishop Richard Le Drede by Tony Murray. Visit the website www.thestonemusical.com for more information. For tickets contact the box office at the Watergate Theatre, Parliament Street, Kilkenny. Booking on 056 77 61674 www.watergatetheatre.com
-ENDS-
For more information contact:
Siobhan Donohoe, MD Media - Siobhan@mdmedia.ie
086 1727972