Galway Youth Theatre is to revisit the work of playwright Neil La Bute for this year's production as part of the Galway Arts Festival. Matthew Harrison talks to 'Some Girl(s) visiting director Niall Clearly about one man's attempt to right the wrongs of past relationships.

"After last year's success with Neil La Bute's 'Autobahn', I knew we should explore more of his work," explains Galway Youth Theatre's visiting director Niall Cleary, "and the Galway Arts Festival gives us the opportunity to produce the Irish premiere of his 2006 play 'Some Girl(s)' for an audience that clearly appreciates his writing and GYT's innovative theatre style".

GYT's new production 'Some Girl(s)' follows a young man's attempts to right the wrongs he has committed in previous relationships. In the weeks just before his marriage, he contacts his previous girlfriends in five different American cities in an attempt to purge himself of his various sins. "In revisiting his old flames, he gets burnt," explains Cleary, "but the narrative is complicated by the fact that the young man is also a writer whose ex-girlfriends' exploits have ended up in his novels...he has a difficult job ahead of him!"

Two years after its London premiere, this Galway production features a newly written scene. "It's like a 'DVD Extra', if you like," comments Cleary, "after its first performances, La Bute added a scene that actually changes the piece. La Bute hoped 'some ambitious company' would have the courage to add it, and we have! I'm not sure if it's ever been done before and so we may have a world premiere for the Galway Arts Festival, not just an Irish one!"

Similarly to GYT's 'Autobahn' last year, 'Some Girl(s)' is also a site-specific work and the performance will take place room 306 in The House Hotel. Since La Bute sets the action of the play in a chain of hotels, using an actual hotel room adds to the naturalistic style of the piece. "In fact, using The House Hotel adds more than that," explains Cleary, "La Bute's writing is all about both tension and intimacy. He creates wonderful moments of suspense, silence and awkwardness as well as a dark humour. Placing the audience virtually on stage with the actors gives a real edge to the experience. It's not audience participation," he hastens to add, "because a lot of people can be put off by that, but it's about being immersed, being part of the intimacy: audiences seem to love that in theatre."

La Bute has been a popular and appropriate choice for GYT in the past. "Midway in rehearsals we're really starting to enjoy the work," explains Cleary, "and this is in typical La Bute territory: on the surface 'Some Girl(s)' is a comedy in which misogynistic male behaviour is put under the microscope, underneath is a darker undercurrent of criticism of such male behaviour. It's a fascinating contrast." And Cleary has obviously enjoyed working with GYT, "I tend to forget I'm working with a non-professional troupe; these people are talented, hard working, 100 per cent committed and fun to work with."

"The House Hotel have very supportive," says Cleary, "and we're getting a good bit of rehearsal time in room 306, despite the fact the hotel are really busy. Eventually we think we'll fit 30 audience members to each performance, and going on last year's success, tickets will go fast. Get booking!" 'Some Girl(s)' runs from Monday 14 July to Saturday 26 July at 5pm at The House Hotel as part of the 2008 Galway Arts Festival. Tickets are available from the Box Office on Merchant's road, online at www.galwayartsfestival.com, or on 091-566577.

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