Rising impresario Richard Jordan, whjo is co-producing Smoking With Lulu at the Soho Theatre, is to present four late-night performances of Conor McPherson's early monologue St Nicholas.

St Nicholas is a one-man show about a drunken Irish theatre critic who leaves his wife and job to follow an actress from Dublin to London and stumbles across a group of vampires for whom he works, in effect, as a pimp, securing them a supply of new victims. St Nicholas is an eerily atmospheric play seemingly well-suited to late-night performances.

St Nicholas is directed by Justin Young, who has also directed two other McPherson monologues (Rum and Vodka and The Good Thief) at Soho Theatre and is thus, despite a wide-ranging career in opera as well as drama, something of a specialist at directing McPherson plays.

Peter Dineen is well known for his television work in "Father Ted" and for his extensive work in theatre, including leading roles for the Royal National Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Bush and Crucible, Sheffield. His many other television and film appearances include Plotlands and Rebel Heart. He most recently appeared on stage in the Royal Court production of The Weir by Conor McPherson. Conor McPherson at 29 years old is one of Ireland's most promising young playwrights. His drama The Weir was winner of the Olivier Award, Evening Standard Award and the Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play. His other plays and films include Dublin Carol, Port Authority, I Went Down and Saltwater.

St.Nicholas will play at the Soho Theatre Feb. 25-26 and March 4-5 at 9.30 PM. Tickets are £12.00 (concessions £10.00). Following this appearance at Soho Theatre the production is to transfer to New York, opening at the Ohio Theatre in summer 2002. The choice of New York theatre is appropriate as the Ohio is situuated in Manahattan's SoHo district. The play has already had one Off-Broadway stint, with Brian Cox as the critic.

For further information call the Soho Theatre Box Office 020 7478 0100.

by Paul Webb Theatrenow