Counterfeit Skin profile picture

Counterfeit Skin

counterfeitskin

About Me

NEWSFLASH! AN ALL NEW VERSION OF COUNTERFEIT SKIN WILL BE PERFORMED AT THE COURTYARD THEATRE BETWEEN 22ND JULY AND 10TH AUGUST 2008, STARRING JEREMY WILLIAMS!Counterfeit Skin is a darkly comic thriller which questions our understanding of the meaning of love. It is about temptation, deception, sex, and betrayal. It was performed at the Courtyard Theatre Studio in Hoxton, London between 22nd January and 10th February 2008, directed by Kirrie Wratten (W;t) and designed by Aaron Marsden (Moulin Rouge).There are so many different types of love, each one meaning something very individual to us. Do the desires of your flesh ever override the needs of your heart? Have you ever had to sacrifice one for the other? Or do you sometimes equate the two together? Counterfeit Skin is about what men risk to get what they really want out of love and life, and the explosive consequences of doing so. Contains nudity and scenes of a sexual nature.Courtyard Theatre Studio 40 Pitfield St London N1 6EU2 mins walk from Old Street tube 22nd January to 10th February 2008 (no Monday performances) 7:30pmwww.seetickets.comReviews for Counterfeit Skin:“Jason Charles is a skilled writer … what starts out as a light comedy soon takes a dark turn - skeletons come clattering out of closets and before you know it Counterfeit Skin has become a tale of infidelity, rampant masochism and potential violence - certainly not a show for the faint hearted. With plenty of surprises and shocking twists, Charles successfully mixes comedy with drama … this is a promising show with loads of potential.”Rainbow Network“Kristian plays Jake’s naivety entirely without judgement, spitting out his words with a beautifully misguided confidence. Rayment appears immensely comfortable onstage, bringing a natural and laid-back quality to Leo, while, as Ralph, Dean Lyle provides effective comic relief and a hopelessly romantic counterfoil to Jake.”THE STAGE“Sparkling dialogue is the trademark of Jason Charles, whose previous play ‘Steam’ played to sold-out houses and rave reviews. Mini-farces, such as Mach trying to get his lanky frame in view of the computer camera by lying under the desk at work or gyrating wildly to Madonna recordings add to the sound and visual entertainment.Aaron Marsden’s versatile set includes a bath, Jake’s room complete with sofa and cake stand, the company reception area, and even a theatre box, using ingeniously managed lighting.If the first half of the play seems to be a light-hearted comedy, the second part darkens into a psychological thriller as Jake allows full rein to his fantasies. Things escalate to breaking point until the nerve-wracking denouement.”My Cultural Lifehttp://www.myculturallifemagazine.co.uk/articles/536/1/R eview-Counterfeit-Skin-by-Jason-Charles-directed-by-Kirrie-W ratten-at-the-Courtyard-Theatre/Until-10-February-2008.html

My Interests

Counterfeit Skin is a play that questions our understanding of the meaning of love. It explores what two generations of men are prepared to risk to get what they want out of life. It is about temptation, violence, pleasure, pain. A play for anyone who has ever let the powerful desires of the flesh override the emotional needs of the heart. Contains nudity and scenes of a sexual nature.

I'd like to meet:

A couple more reviews here:http://www.writewords.org.uk/forum/94_203596.asphttp:// www.remotegoat.co.uk/review_view.php?uid=1118Jason Charles is also the author of the play STEAM which was performed to sold out houses and glowing reviews at the White Bear Theatre in Feb 2006 and the Barons Court Theatre in June 2007."This is a powerful debut, a psychological thriller with moments of high comedy" The Spectator.To get in touch with Jason Charles, or for more information about the production, email: [email protected]

Music:

From the author of Steam (White Bear Theatre 2006, Barons Court Theatre 2007) and Rupture (Kings Head Theatre, April 2007) comes Counterfeit Skin, a psychological thriller/dark comedy about the effects of parental and sexual love on two generations of men, and the consequences of this love being betrayed.

Movies:

SYNOPSIS FOR COUNTERFEIT SKIN: Mach is the new receptionist at Hawley’s Confectionery Ltd. Whilst antagonising callers with his idiosyncratic telephone manner, and occasionally performing 80’s dance routines on the desk, he spends his time searching internet chat rooms for clients for him and his reluctant colleague, Pip, to visit after work. This is until he realises the effect he has on company director Leo Hawley. Meanwhile, Leo’s godson, Jake, who he lives with, whittles his afternoons away drinking Lapsang Souchong and eating the company’s cake samples with well-to-do neighbour, Ralph, who has been paid by his parents to never contact them again. Jake’s single topic of conversation is his disintegrating relationship with Luke, who lives with them. But Leo inviting his provocative young receptionist over for dinner one evening shakes Jake’s cosy daily routine. Once in the house, Mach has no intention of leaving until he gets exactly what he wants..

Television:

REVIEWS FOR STEAM: "This is a powerful debut, a psychological thriller with moments of high comedy" THE SPECTATOR "Charles has a strong academic background in playwriting and it shows - Steam's structure is neat and nicely balanced ... He has a fine ear for dialogue, and for all the sex talk the play is never crass...All in all this is a classy, entertaining evening of fringe theatre that deserves rather more than the one-week stretch" MyLondonYourLondon "...the underlying message of this intelligent play ... Steam is all about preconceptions and the judgements people make based upon them, especially when it comes to themselves" Extra Extra

Books:

READ AN INTERVIEW WITH JASON CHARLES HERE:http://www.rainbownetwork.com/UserPortal/Article/Detail .aspx?ID=20131&sid=422nd January to 10th February (no Monday perfs) The Courtyard Theatre Studio 40 Pitfield Street London N1 6EU Old Street tube 2 mins walk

Heroes:

CAST: James Kristian (AS IF), Jonathan Laury (The Golden Compass), James Trueman, John Rayment, Dean Lyle and Chris Grezo.There are so many different types of love, each one meaning something very individual to us. Do the desires of your flesh ever override the needs of your heart? Have you ever had to sacrifice one for the other? Or do you sometimes equate the two together? COUNTERFEIT SKIN is a psychological thriller/dark comedy about what two generations of men risk to get what they really want out of love and life, and the explosive consequences of doing so. Contains nudity and scenes of a sexual nature. With thanks to Karla Gowlett for the excellent photography and flyer design.