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about8

Eight is a series of monologues written by Ella Hickson for the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it won a 'Best in Edinburgh' award and a Fringe First award.

There are actually nine characters in all – the author omitted the character of 'Buttons' from the original production for being “too niche” but included him in the published script – and they range in age from late teens to early thirties.

 

The characters' stories are not connected and each monologue offers a stand-alone narrative. 

Hickson, who wrote Eight when she was 24, said, "In creating the characters of Eight I asked a group of twentysomethings what they believed in — the almost unanimous answer was ‘not very much’.” In isolating the characters in their own monologues, Hickson is able to confront this apathy head-on. Yet glimmers of hope emerge as each story unfolds and the characters grapple with their identity, their sexuality, their morality, their future and their connection with others. In this sense, Eight offers a collective portrait of a searching generation in mid-2000s Britain.

Performed and recorded by two separate casts,  Eight was available on demand on four Thursdays from January 7th with casts alternating  weekly. Tickets for all performances were €10.

Meet The Eight

Teenager Jude finds himself attracted to an alluring older woman.

Millie is a jolly-hockey-sticks prostitute mourning the loss of the old British class system.

Danny is an ex-squaddie who makes friends in morgues.

Mona is pregnant and trying to keep her secrets safe from prying eyes.

Art dealer André’s boyfriend has just killed himself.

Miles is a survivor of the 7 July London Tube bombings.

'Buttons' is being released from jail tomorrow, having served ten years.

Astrid is cheating on her boyfriend.

Bobby is struggling to make ends meet for her two young children.

cast 1

Jude – Cillian Tobin

Millie – Ciara Carroll

Danny – Loré Adewusi

Mona – Niamh McPhillips

André – Matthew Nolan

Miles – Stephen Murphy

Buttons – Colm Hynes

Astrid – Caroline Kane

Bobby – Georgia Cooney

cast 2

Jude – Eoin McAdam

Millie – Freya Blendell

Danny – Cody Creighton

Mona – Niamh Mallen

André – Adam Callan

Miles – Eoghan Yore

Buttons – Cian Hoyne

Astrid – Emily Corbett

Bobby – Anna Reid

Meet The Makers

cast 1 Tiks
cast 2 tiks

Production Team

Peter McDermott – Director

Lisa Krugel – Set & Costume Designer

Matt Burke – Lighting Designer

Gareth Stack – Director of Photography

Tanya Dean – Dramaturg

Cathal Quinn -- Dialect Coach

Tamar Keane – Stage Manager & Sound

Lisa O’Brien – Publicity Manager

Jill Callaghan – Poster Designer

Shane Gill, Colin Doran – Lighting

Distributed by The Lock Inn

By arrangement with Nick Hern Books

With Thanks

Irish National Opera, The New Theatre, The Axis Theatre, James Moran, Alan Benson and all the porters of TU Dublin Rathmines, Ciaran Stone, Jimmy at Shoot Cut Grade, Emergency Care, Ben Rawlins, Fiona Howard, Mairead Hurley, Andrea Basquille, Sarah Fitzgibbon, Charlotte Tiernan, Mary Moynihan, Michael McCabe, Ella Clarke, Jay Cosgrave, Steve Wallace, Duncan O’Cléirigh

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