IMMACULATE

In March 2021 Tinderbox premiered Louise Mathews’ original and powerful new piece of missing memoirs, Immaculate, as part of the Féile an Earraigh Arts Festival 2021. Immaculate has since been screened as part of the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival 2021 in association with Dublin Pride and was selected to feature as part of the LGBTQ Unbordered Film Festival in Delaware, where it won the Merit Award in the Arthouse category.

We are delighted to announce that Immaculate will be showing as part of the Edinburgh Fringe festival 2021 on the 26th and 27th August. Immaculate has since been screened as part of the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival 2021 in association with Dublin Pride and was selected to feature as part of the LGBTQ Unbordered Film Festival in Delaware, where it won the Merit Award in the Arthouse category.

Immaculate is based on a true story about Louise Mathews, an artist struggling to piece together the life of her uncle Anthony, who tragically died in the early 90s and whose cause of death has left many unanswered questions.

Anthony was born in Belfast and later left for London to live his life as a gay man. As Louise began to find out about his life, the research took her on an immense journey of joy, elation and sorrow as revelations about his past highlighted deeply conservative attitudes and daily threats to gay men living in London at that time (especially during the HIV and Aids Epidemic). Her journey to find his truth only led her further into mystery and shame as so many gay men were forced to live in complete isolation or in many cases, vanish into the periphery of society.

Through her lyrics and incredible music composition by Stuart Robinson and brought together through a digital online performance, Louise is determined to reclaim his life, get the justice he deserves and celebrate those who were forced to hide in the shadows of our society.

Writer Louise Mathews

Director Patrick J O'Reilly

Producer Meg Magill

Music Stuart Robinson

Design Diana Ennis

Editor Dan Leith

Lighting James McFetridge

Cast Louise Mathews, Rhodri Lewis