Irish comedy coming to the Hatbox

CONCORD — PerSeverance Productions LLC will present the Irish comedy "Stones in His Pockets" by Marie Jones at the Hatbox Theatre on March 1-17, just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., featuring two actors, 15 characters … and cows.

Winner of the United Kingdom’s prestigious Olivier Award in 2001 as Best Comedy, the play is a witty and beautifully crafted tragicomedy exploring the exploitative and dysfunctional relationship when Hollywood takes over a small town in rural Ireland.

New Hampshire Clown Prince Scott H. Severance and his sidekick, Sven Wiberg, move seamlessly between characters in the gleefully tongue-in-cheek comedy, bouncing about from ages 8 to 76 with accents from all over the British Isles (and even between genders). "Stones in His Pockets" is a rare case where the writing works as deftly as the acting, where a phrase can be as instantly evocative as a gesture or a glance.

Since 2014, PerSeverance Productions has been responsible for a National Tour of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a $250,000 annual project that travels the country and has received extraordinary critical acclaim, playing in front of nearly 100,000 audience members. The company also produces a summer theater season at the historic Rochester Opera House.

Severance says, “We are looking for more local avenues to expand our footprint of theatrical excellence, and the Hatbox is a perfect start.”

Tickets are $17, $14 for members, seniors, and students, and $12 for senior members. Tickets are available at www.hatboxnh.com and by calling 603-715-2315.

Hatbox Theatre is a live performance arts space located at 270 Loudon Road, in the Steeplegate Mall in Concord.