Laying the Foundation Stone
Austin Clarke lays the Foundation Stone of the Ridgeway St Theatre on June 12th 1965, in the Cent...
Austin Clarke lays the Foundation Stone of the Ridgeway St Theatre on June 12th 1965, in the Cent...
I remember the opening night in the new theatre. We could hear the anticipatory chatter of the guests while we put on make up in almost darkness, the lights were still being installed in the dressing rooms as the audience were arriving!
Sam McCready from Lyric First Memories
READ MOREMrs O'Malley herself has directed the great bulk of Yeats plays with superb success, as well as many other productions. Her talented and devoted company turned professional about two years ago. It is now up to us, the public, to justify her faith in such a colossal undertaking, if we are to continue to enjoy our diet of the best of international and Irish theatre.
Ruth Barnett Baker, Irish Tatler & Sketch
READ MORERacine's French dramatic tragedy, taken from Greek Mythology was first written in 1677. The Lyric produced the ...
READ MORESam Thompson, a Northern Irish playwright best known for documenting sectarian violence in his works, penned the cont...
READ MORELovers was the first of Brian Friel's plays to be produced in the new theatre on Ridgeway St. in June 1970. This play...
READ MOREThe Flats by John Boyd, was written in 1969 and produced by the Lyric in 1971. The play follows the Catholic...
READ MOREWritten by Sean O'Casey in 1928 and set during the First World War, The Silver Tassie follows youn...
READ MOREThis production of the classic political play by Bertolt Brecht boasted another huge cast of 24 actors and was
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Demonstrating a commitment to the giants of modern theatre, the Lyric launched a double bill of work by Chekhov and S...
READ MOREMy first visit to the Lyric back in the day (around 1974/5) was to see my P7 teacher Alex McClay play Henry VIII in ‘A Man for all Seasons’
Suzanne
READ MOREThree years after its Broadway debut, Jesus Christ Superstar made it’s way onto the Lyric stage. The controversial ...
READ MOREI was lucky to have known Mary personally, she took me under her wing back in the seventies when I had just lost my dad in the Troubles. My dad an I were regular visitors to the Lyric and I also attended the Lyrics drama school. She picked me to play a part in a production called 'We do it for Love' knowing it was going on tour, just to take me away from a very sad situation. Her kindness didnt stop when the show ended. I went on to act in many other productions and she also invited me to her home in Co Wicklow to spend my summer holidays. A very kind and generous lady.
Sharon
READ MOREThis comedy from George Farquhar follows Aimwell and Archer, two fashionable beauxs, who have fallen on hard times an...
READ MOREComing up for an audition for Mary O'Malley in 1975, and being strangely taken with the newness of the building. These wonderful bricks. I thought 'wow, what a new, modern theatre". And I ultimately got accepted into the theatre. (from Lyric First Memories 1968-2008)
Liam Neeson
READ MOREThe Lyric produced the World Premiere of this play by Frank Dunne in which young Irish actor, Barney Kerrigan makes a...
READ MOREThis double bill of performances boasted Dark Rosaleen, the award-winning play for the Lyric Drama Competiti...
READ MORENow she has been given a year off her studies to be Playwright Residence at the Lyric, a post funded by the Thames Television Award Scheme. She won the award for 'Tea in a China Cup', written without any theatrical experience apart from acting at school. "I found it very difficult to write," she admitted. "It took me two years and I know I won't be satisfied, even on the opening night. This is why working in the theatre is such a valuable experience for me. I'm very involved in the current production of Yeats and O'Casey - it's a wonderful opportunity to see a play right through from the initial reading to the actual performance. I'm now aware of the problems a theatre faces, not least the sheer cost of mounting a production. Patrick Sandford, the Artistic Director; John Boyd, the Literary Advisor and Valerie Osborne, the Manager, have all been very good to me."
Christina Reid talks to Ruth Baker for Northern Woman
READ MOREWhen “The Interrogation of Ambrose Fogarty” by Martin Lynch was showing at the Lyric, my mother took my granny to see the show because they had heard great reviews. My granny kept remarking that the actor playing Ambrose reminded her of one of her sons, and so her empathy built intensely! During the interval my mum and granny had a sweet sherry each, and returned to the seats. My granny never had a tipple but since this was a special occasion she enjoyed it. As the play progressed, my granny became more agitated at the RUC treatment of Ambrose. He was being viscously beaten and suddenly my grandmother stood up in her seat and screamed, “Leave him alone, yas bastards!” I think the atmosphere could be cut with a knife- my mother sunk into her seat and pulled my granny back down, and the actors continued on, eventually acknowledging my granny during the curtain call! This has become a family legend, and sadly my granny is no longer with us, but we laugh at this and many other memories when the family get together! Hope this made you laugh!
Sarah
READ MOREAround Christmas (either 1982 or ’83) myself and my classmates (P6/P7) from Clough Primary, Co Antrim made the very long - but very exciting journey - up to ‘the Big Smoke’ of Belfast to attend ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Lyric Theatre. I’d never heard of the Lyric Theatre before this, but I had hears of A Christmas Carol, as this had been our school musical production that year, so we knew the story inside out after our months of rehearsal. I’ve never forgotten the Lyric – my first theatre experience – and the most stand out memory of that show was The Ghost of Christmas Present who was this 7ft larger than life character with a huge beard, surrounded by fruit and food, and a bit booming voice. That was 35 yrs ago & I was only 10, but that memory has never left me and has given me a fondness for the Lyric I’ve never forgotten
Jane
READ MOREA model box from the 1983 Lyric production of Indian Summer, featuring the designer Hildegard Bec...
The set for the 1983 production of Educating Rita, designed by Philip McConnell alongside the set...
1983 boasts two of the great women playwrights whom the Lyric has championed over the years - Jennifer Johnston and C...
READ MOREThe Lyric premiered Tea In A China Cup in which three generations of Protestant Belf...
READ MOREThe Winter 1986/87 edition of Lyric publication Threshold was dedicated to the late...
This tongue-in-cheek comedy about a meek mannered florist and his talking, blood thirsty plant, was produced by the L...
READ MOREBelfast actor Patrick O’Kane made his Lyric debut in Frank McGuinness’s acclaimed drama about...
This celebrated Tennessee Williams play (famously turned into a film starring Elizabeth Taylor an...
I first became involved with the Lyric in the early nineties as a young teenager when I came for drama classes and my school work experience! By the late nineties, I was a performing arts student and visited the theatre often as an audience member, on backstage tours and was delighted to work on college assignments with the production team of the time. I couldn’t wait to see what would be on the stage next and remember clearly Brian Friel’s Philadelphia, Here I Come! A Mid-Summer Nights Dream, the Drama Studio’s production of Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss and excitedly pushing past the picketers on Ridgeway Street to see a controversial version of Miss Julie. The programming inspired my love of theatre further and I gained a place at Drama School - Rose Bruford College to study Stage Management. Degree complete and with a few years’ experience under my belt I decided to return home for a while. It wasn’t long after that when I landed my first job at the Lyric as Deputy Stage Manager for the Christmas show Merry Christmas Betty Ford. So lucky to be working alongside a talented cast which included Ian McElhinney, Mark Dugdale and Rachel Tucker. I worked in various roles in the Stage Management team until the old building closed and we watched on the street as the bulldozers moved in and it was taken down. We didn’t stop for long though – straight to work on the Parker Plays Pentecost and Spokesong staged in an old bank building in the city centre. I happily stayed on the team, touring productions around the country until the new building opened in 2011. An opportunity then arose to work in the Creative Learning Department, I jumped at the chance – I had always wanted to work with young people and in TIE. I haven’t looked back and my role now includes helping run Theatre School (our weekly drama classes for young people), our work experience programme and encouraging young people to train professionally in Drama Schools.
Pauline
READ MORELyric production of Galway playwright Tom Murphy’s masterpiece. Two more great plays by Tom, wh...
Volunteers by Brian Friel was produced by the Lyric in June 1994 directed by Robin Midgley.
... READ MOREGraham Reid's Lengthening Shadows produced by the Lyric in 1995, directed by Robin Midgley.<...
Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnana was directed by Conall Morrison. The play has been produce...
My brother Daniel had cerebral palsy and was part of a drama group called the Mixed Peppers. One summer (I think in 2002) they did a production in the Lyric - we rehearsed for several weeks and then did a few shows. The show was called Aloysius Tosh and was based in the shipyard. There were lots of young people with disabilities involved and everyone at the Lyric was so helpful and accommodating. Daniel and I had a brilliant time. Sadly we lost Daniel 4 years ago but I will never forget how much fun we had that summer.
Rachel
READ MOREFrom a GCSE drama class visit to see 'Conversations on a Homecoming' to my first professional job here in 2011 (The Crucible) to my most recent job now (Double Cross), @LyricBelfast has always been a cherished & very special place to me. #Lyric50 #HappyBirthdayLyric
Charlotte McCurry
READ MOREFeaturing some of the Lyric’s - and Ireland’s! - best loved actors, Julie Dreardon, Dan Gordo...
Sean O'Casey's Shadow of a Gunman was directed by Fiona Buffini. Shadow of a Gunman has been...
Nobel Laureate Shaw is a stalwart of the Lyric repertoire; he is the third most produced playwright from the South of...
READ MOREArthur Miller’s compelling dramatisation of the hellish Salem witchcraft trials, quickly became a central and revol...
READ MOREIn 2012 my mum had booked us two tickets to a show at the Lyric. Her colleague had recommended a show that her seven year old nephew was in. We got to the Lyric and watched Melmoth the Wonderer – the cast featured no children. We quickly realised that we had booked to see the wrong show but Melmoth the Wonderer was brilliant and we weren’t at all disappointed that we’d ended up seeing the wrong thing!
Katie
READ MOREI just wanted to say how much the Lyric means to me. From first entering the doors four years ago for my work experience when I was only 16 years old, to gaining a place in the Lyric Drama Studio and go on to do their production of the Heresy of love. I have really grew up with the lyric and I definitely wouldn’t have the confidence to want to train as a professional actor if it wasn’t for the Lyric.
Emma
READ MORESimon Stephens' critically acclaimed, award winning play was produced by the Lyric in 2014. Director Selina Cartmell ...
READ MOREAward winning The Night Alive hit the Lyric stage in October 2015. Written...
READ MOREI've lived 15min from @LyricBelfast all my life, seen countless plays, my mum & aunties all used to work box office, I got my first professional gig there with Blackout. Now very proud to be part of its 50th birthday party tonight.
Michael Patrick
READ MOREEducating Rita was the opening production of the Lyric's 2016 season, directed by Emma Jordan and starr...
READ MOREOriginally a screenplay written in 1955, The Ladykillers tells the story of sweet, old Mrs Wilberf...
READ MORE“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!” Good Vibrations was produc...
READ MOREThe Lyric Theatre and Northern Ireland Opera co-produced Sondheim’s musical thriller about the infamous boogeyman o...
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