What’s the worst first date you’ve ever had? - Comedy from award winning Kilkenny writer hits the stage

Taboo- A dark comedy by award winning Kilkenny writer, John Morton runs at the Source Arts Centre, Thurles on Friday 29 November for two performances at 2pm and 8pm.

“What’s the worst first date you’ve ever had?”

There was a boy and a girl and somehow, they met. Lily doesn’t get out much. Tom finds it hard to meet new people. And now they’re having their first date. Lily cooks a three-course meal. Tom brings flowers and wine.

On the surface, everything seems fine. But in the modern world, dating is a surprisingly complex thing with a lot of unwritten rules. There are certain things you shouldn’t do on a first date. And then there are certain things you shouldn’t do at all.

Taboo is a dark comedy that allows us to better get acquainted with the skeletons in our cupboards.

The play unfolds in real time over a three-course meal. It is a romantic comedy about two people who meet and go on a date, but in an attempt to present the best versions of themselves, the date starts to go horribly wrong.

By the time they get to the third course, there is nothing left but to reveal their most authentic selves. In a society where more and more of our interactions take place online (including dating), Taboo looks at two people trying to connect in the real word.

Widely acclaimed, John Morton's play about the realistic intricacies of dating was coined "dark, clever and funny".

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John Morton

John is from Kilkenny and is the creator and writer of the TV series Dead Still, for which he won an Edgar Award for Best TV Episode Teleplay.

He has written and directed several short films including Smitten for RTÉ Storyland, and also wrote the award winning shorts Seanie & Flo, Kathleen and Swerve.

For the stage John has written the plays Denouement (LyricTheatre/Traverse), Taboo (White Label), War Of Attrition, Scratcher, Smitten and Heart Shaped Vinyl (Devious Theatre). With Peter McGann, he co-wrote the Irish historical plays The Hellfire Squad and The Roaring Banshees.

He also wrote the adaptation of Thomas Kilroy’s novel The Big Chapel (Asylum/Abbey Theatre/Kilkenny Arts Festival) which was nominated in three categories at Irish Times Theatre Awards 2020. John is a founding member of Devious Theatre in Kilkenny and White Label in Dublin.

He is currently writing comedy drama pilot script The Continental Method for Deadpan Pictures Limited.

Tickets on sale now