Paines Plough has announced the full cast and creative team for Karis Kelly’s dark comedy Consumed, a co-production with Belgrade Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and the Women’s Prize for Playwriting, in association with the Lyric Theatre Belfast.

Directed by Paines Plough’s Joint Artistic Director, Katie Posner, the cast includes Julia Dearden (Derry Girls; After Life; Dancing at Lughnasa), Caoimhe Farren (The Ferryman; Derry Girls), Andrea Irvine (Blue Lights; Line of Duty) and Muireann Ní Fhaogáin, who makes her professional stage debut in Consumed.

Joining them in the creative team are Lily Arnold as Set and Costume Designer, Beth Duke as Sound Designer and Composer, Guy Hoare as Lighting Designer, Suzanne Bellas Dramaturg, Gina Donnelly as Assistant Director, with Jacob Sparrow as the Casting Director. The team is joined on tour by Amy Bending as Company Stage Manager, Will Tucker as Assistant Stage Manager, Mark Hartley as Production Manager for TPO Global, and Naomi Thompson as Wardrobe Supervisor at Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.

Consumed opens at Belgrade Theatre in Coventry as part of the venue’s See It First Festival (Friday 25 - Saturday 26 July), before premiering at the Traverse Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show will then embark upon a tour to Belgrade Theatre (Wednesday 3 - Saturday 6 September), Leeds Playhouse (Wednesday 10 - Saturday 13 September), Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (Tuesday 16 - Saturday 20 September) and the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse at Sheffield Theatres (Wednesday 24 September - Saturday 11 October).

An 80th birthday party that no-one seems to want. 

Four generations of Northern Irish women, reunited under one roof. A house full of hungry ghosts, with more than one skeleton in the closet. Turn off your phones at dinner. 

Winner of the Women’s Prize for the Playwriting 2022, Karis Kelly’s play is a pitch-black and twisted comedy of dysfunctional family dynamics, generational revolt and national boundaries.

Playwright Karis Kelly commented: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with such an incredible creative team. For me, to be working with a full Irish cast, rehearsing at the London Irish Centre (where I attended many cultural events growing up) is a full circle, dream come true moment. I was lucky enough to be in the auditions and I was absolutely blown away by their talent. I cannot wait to get into the room and work with Katie and the whole team, and watch this play come to life!”