Irish Rep Presents PUMPGIRL

Irish Repertory Theatre presents the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winning-play Pumpgirl, by Abbie Spallen (Strandline), directed by Nicola Murphy (Stop/Over). Pumpgirl begins performances in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre (132 W 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011) on November 7, 2019, with opening night set for November 14, for a limited run through December 29, 2019.

In a gas station in Northern Ireland, barely north of the border, Pumpgirl gets few customers beyond lecherous men and cruel women who remark on her tomboyish appearance. Otherwise guarded, she has struck up a friendship with "no helmet Hammy" - an amateur stock-car racer who prefers to spend time with his unsavory buddies over his wife and children. As Hammy's wife, Sinead, stays home alone, she simmers with rage over her isolated, disappointing existence. On Hammy's birthday, their lives become perilously intertwined, leaving them face to face with a desperate future.

Irish Repertory Theatre is proud to present this heart wrenching original story of rural life in Northern Ireland by Abbie Spallen, a multi-award-winning Irish playwright making her Irish Rep debut. Originally presented by the Bush Theatre, Pumpgirl premiered in 2006 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and made its New York debut at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2007. It won the 2007 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the Stewart Parker Trust Award, and was nominated for the Irish Times Best New Play.

Full casting for Pumpgirl will be announced at a later date.

Pumpgirl will feature costume design by Molly Seidel (The Woodsman) and lighting design by Michael O'Connor (Little Gem).

The performance schedule for Pumpgirl will be as follows: Wednesdays at 3pm and 8pm; Thursdays at 7pm; Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm; and Sundays at 3pm. Exceptions: There will be additional performances on Tuesday, November 26 at 7pm; Monday, December 23 at 7pm; and Friday, December 27 at 3pm. There will be no performances on Thursday, November 28 and Wednesday, December 25.

Tickets to Pumpgirl range from $45.00 - $50.00 and are available through Irish Rep's box office at 212-727-2737 or online at www.irishrep.org. A block of tickets for preview performances will go on sale at noon two weeks before first preview for $22 each. This $22 on 22nd Street initiative will be made available for all Irish Rep productions.

Currently in performances in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre is the World Premiere of Kingfishers Catch Fire, by Robin Glendinning (Jennifer's Holiday), directed by Kent Paul (Lost in Yonkers). Kingfishers Catch Fire will open September 22, for a limited run through October 20, 2019. Starting performances on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage on September 20, 2019 is Dublin Carol, written by Conor McPherson (The Seafarer) and directed by Ciarán O'Reilly (The Shadow of a Gunman). Opening night of Dublin Carol is set for October 1, for a limited run through November 10, 2019.