Bring 'I've always liked the name Marcus' to Dublin
Tinderbox Theatre Company and Matthew Sharpe are bringing Matthew's brilliant new play 'I've Always Liked the Name Marcus’ to the Dublin Fringe Festival 11th - 14th September.
Matthew’s Amazing 24hr Gym Challenge
To help raise much-needed funds for his play to run at the festival, Matthew is bravely doing a non-stop gym workout for 24hrs straight! Planks, bench presses, tyre flips, bear crawls, tricep dips… it’s gonna be sweaty, tough and painful, but hopefully raise enough money to help Matthew bring his new play at the Dublin Fringe Festival.
What’s the target?
We need to raise £2,000 to pay for:
- Safe, comfortable accommodation for the Actor (Matthew) and the Stage Manager
- Equity Rate Fees for these talented creatives
- Subsistence costs in Dublin
All the money fundraised will go directly towards this bold and important production.
About the play:
**** “A Soul-Search Brimming with Attitude” – (Chris McCormack, Feeling Good)
Meet Marcus, your typical Northern Ireland lad with a twist - he's got a knack for trying on stereotypes like they're snapbacks. But when a surprise encounter turns his world upside down, Marcus finds himself sorting through a puzzle of race, identity, and multiple hilarious versions of himself.
‘I’ve Always Liked the Name Marcus’ is Matthew’s first play and draws inspiration from his own life experiences. This dynamic, multimedia production is directed by Patrick J. O’Reilly, and produced by Tinderbox Theatre Company.
The show premiered at the MAC, Belfast, in May 2024 and transfers to Smock Alley Theatre, 11-14 September, for the Dublin Fringe Festival.
About Matthew:
Matthew Sharpe is an actor and writer who has worked in theatres across Northern Ireland, National Theatre London & Europe as well as appearing in films and TV in Ireland.
Matthew grew up in Carrickfergus and has Jamaican and Northern Irish heritage. He has had roles in Soft Boarder Patrol, Ordinary Love, Stranger with a Camera, Bloodlands S1 & 2, and KNEECAP the movie.
Matthew has also written and produced his own podcast called The Thought Floor.
About Tinderbox:
Since 1988, Belfast-based Tinderbox Theatre Company have nurtured and championed new writing, producing performances from Northern Irish writers and theatre makers to international acclaim.
Our vision of artistic practice and engagement focuses on the creative process. We are inspired by creative innovation, experimentation and contemporary theatre.
We work with new and ambitious theatrical forms. Our production Rhino was named by The Stage as one of the Top 50 shows in 2023.
We have a great focus of collaborating with artists such as Matthew, to give them space, time, resources and a platform to tell the interesting and unique personal stories of Northern Ireland.
This will be the first time that we've presented work at the prestigious festival in our 36-year history, and Matthew's first time performing in the city too.
Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Commissioning Fund.
Thank you for your support. Whatever you can give will be a huge help and encouragement for Matthew and the team. And if you know anyone in Dublin, please tell them to go see 'I've Always Liked the Name Marcus'!
Organizer
Alice Malseed
Organizer
Northern Ireland
Tinderbox Theatre Company
Beneficiary