Marie Jones
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Sarah Marie Jones is a Belfast-based actress and playwright. Born into a working class Protestant family circa 1951 Jones was an aspiring actress for several years before turning her hand to writing.
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[edit] Charabanc/DubbelJoint
She helped found the Charabanc Theatre Company, an all women touring group. It was created to help counteract the lack of roles for women, and which produced a series of collaboratively written original works. The group’s first play, Lay Up Your Ends, based on a strike by mill girls in the early part of the 20th Century, was an immediate hit. She remained with Charabanc until 1990 when she left and co-founded the DubbelJoint theatre group in 1991.
[edit] Plays
She wrote five plays for The Replay Theatre Company, including Under Napoleon’s Nose (1988). The play for which she is likely best known is Stones in His Pockets, a play based on the idea of a Hollywood film company filming a movie in a small Irish village and the resulting impact on that community. This was performed on Broadway to critical acclaim. She has also written a number of stage and television plays, including Tribes (1990), Fighting the Shadows (1992), Wingnut and the Sprog (1994), The Hamster Wheel (1991) and A Night in November (1994). A Night in November was performed in London's West End and in New York City off-Broadway. She is also in the process of writing "The Chosen Room" for YMT:UK to be performed in Belfast in August 2008 with music from Riverdance Musical Director Mark Dougherty.
[edit] Acting
She has also worked as an actress, and played "Sarah Conlon" in Jim Sheridan's film, In the Name of the Father.
[edit] Awards
- John Hewitt Award for outstanding contribution to culture, tradition and the arts in Northern Ireland
- 1999 Irish Times/ESB Theatre Award for Best Production
- OBE (2002)
[edit] Marriage
She is married to Irish actor Ian McElhinney. They live in Belfast.
