Lyric Theatre, Belfast Explained

The Lyric Theatre, or simply The Lyric, is the principal, full-time producing theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1]

The theatre's current Executive Producer is Jimmy Fay,[2] previously the founder and Artistic Director of Bedrock Productions.[3]

History

The theatre was first established as The Lyric Players in 1951 at the home of its founders Mary O'Malley and her husband Pearse in Derryvolgie Avenue, off the Malone Road, and moved to its new site on Ridgeway Street in 1968, between the Stranmillis Road and Stranmillis Embankment. Austin Clarke laid the foundation stone in 1965 a deliberate choice by O'Malley to build a link back to her artistic hero W. B. Yeats.[4]

In 1974 the theatre staged Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar, leading to protests. In 1976 Liam Neeson appeared in Brian Friel's Philadelphia Here I Come!. Neeson's association with the Lyric has continued since, and he is currently the theatre's patron. Several of Friel's plays have been staged at the theatre, including Dancing at Lughnasa in 1996 and 2015.[5] A number of Marie Jones plays have been staged there including A Very Weird Manor.[6] [7]

In 2004 the theatre announced a fundraising campaign to redevelop the theatre on its existing site. In June 2007 a £1m donation by Northern Irish businessman Dr Martin Naughton kickstarted the development. Naughton's donation was the largest in Northern Ireland arts history. He had previously made donations to Queen's University, where the Naughton Gallery is named in his honour.

New Lyric Theatre

The new theatre, designed by O'Donnell & Tuomey, opened on 1 May 2011, with a Gala Performance of The Crucible. The new facility features a new main theatre with a seating capacity of almost 400 and a multi-function performance space 'The Naughton Studio' which can seat between 120 and 170.[8] This new theatre was an almost threefold increase in the size of the previous building and the theatre remains the largest employer of actors and other theatre professionals in the region.[9]

The Lyric's current Chair is Sir Bruce Robinson[10] who took over in January 2015 from BBC Northern Ireland journalist Mark Carruthers,[11] who received an OBE at Buckingham Palace on 25 March 2011, in recognition of his leadership of the theatre at a highly critical time in its development.

Since the theatre re-opened a permanent exhibition of the work of Belfast-born visual artist Colin Davidson (artist) has been on display at the theatre where he personally presented his work to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the President of Ireland during the Royal visit to Northern Ireland on 27 June 2012. This was the occasion, and the Lyric was the chosen site, for a public meeting between Queen Elizabeth II and Martin McGuinness, Deputy First Minister for the Northern Ireland Assembly and a former commander of the IRA. The event is viewed by many as a positive sign for the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland.[12]

In October 2018, as part of the theatre's 50th anniversary on the Stranmillis site, that theme of being "a shared place, a crossroads between communities" was marked at a symposium and over a weekend of celebratory events with the Irish Times noting the Lyric was a cultural bridge in a divided city.[13]

Controversy

A Stormont investigation found that there were serious failing in the selection of a preferred bidder for the new Lyric Theatre building.[14] The report stated that the way in which the contract was awarded was significantly flawed and failed to adhere to principles of good practice.[15] Chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee Michaela Boyle said: "The quality of the rebuilt Lyric Theatre is undisputed; we recognise that it is a highly impressive theatre and that it has deservedly won a number of prestigious awards. However, the end does not justify the means. My committee has found that there were significant departures from good practice."[16]

A year after Stormont's PAC reported, then finance minister Simon Hamilton suggested that if the committee had actually found evidence of fraud the people they should be speaking to are the PSNI, not the BBC and that the committee had "slurred organisations and individuals."[17]

Productions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Neeson . Anthony . October 29, 2022 . Lyric scoops brace of theatre awards .
  2. News: 29 January 2014 . Lyric Theatre announces new Executive Producer . Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
  3. Web site: Jimmy Fay . The Lisa Richards Agency UK.
  4. Web site: History of The Lyric Theatre, Belfast . history.lyrictheatre.co.uk.
  5. News: Dancing at Lughnasa review: A thoughtful, adept 25th-anniversary revival . The Irish Times.
  6. Maguire . Tom . 2007 . "You're only putting it on": Dressing up, Identity and Subversion in Northern Irish Drama . dead . Postcolonial Text . 3 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726162445/http://postcolonial.org/index.php/pct/article/download/711/445 . 2011-07-26 . 3.
  7. News: Reviews . The Irish Times.
  8. News: 26 June 2007 . £1m donation for Belfast theatre . BBC News.
  9. Web site: 6 February 2018 . Lyric Theatre announces plans to celebrate 50 years on the banks of the Lagan . Culture Northern Ireland.
  10. Web site: 30 January 2015 . Sir Bruce Robinson becomes Chairman of the Lyric Theatre . Lyric Theatre.
  11. News: 9 January 2015 . Mark Carruthers stands down as Lyric Theatre chairman . BBC News.
  12. Web site: 27 June 2012 . Queen and Martin McGuinness shake hands and make history . . Press Association.
  13. News: Coyle . Jane . The Lyric Theatre at 50: a cultural bridge in a divided city . The Irish Times.
  14. News: Lyric Theatre: New report says awarding of rebuild contract reeks of rigging and manipulation . Belfast Telegraph.
  15. Web site: 26 January 2014 . PAC report on Lyric Theatre - a Freedom of Information request to Northern Ireland Assembly . WhatDoTheyKnow.
  16. News: Tender for rebuilding of Belfast's Lyric Theatre 'may have been rigged' . The Irish Times.
  17. News: 24 November 2014 . Hamilton: 'PAC should not be seeking headlines' . BBC Democracy Live.
  18. Web site: Little Women review: crowd-pleaser kicks off Lyric’s 2024 spring season . subscription . The Irish Times.
  19. Web site: Glaister-Ryder . Riley . Belfast’s Lyric Theatre & Garry Hynes Shine at the UK Theatre Awards . Hotpress.com.
  20. News: Savage . Joanne . 6 January 2023 . Modern spin on Romeo and Juilet to be staged at the Lyric Theatre . Newsletter.co.uk.
  21. Web site: THEATRE REVIEW: Propaganda The Musical is a masterclass in comedic absurdity . Belfast Media Group.
  22. Web site: 15 September 2021 . Ballsy new play 'Rough Girls' shoots and scores . LoveBelfast.
  23. Web site: 11 May 2022 . Derry Girls star's hopes for series future after flashback episode . Digital Spy.
  24. Web site: Moore . Paul . 25 July 2021 . Rough Girls is the remarkable story about Irish football that nobody knows about . Irish Mirror.
  25. Web site: Interview with Tara Lynne O'Neill (Mary Quinn) . Channel4.com.
  26. Web site: BBC Four - Rough Girls . BBC.
  27. Web site: 100 Years Living on the Border . Lyric Theatre Belfast.
  28. Web site: 24 August 2022 . The Border Game returns to the stage for Irish tour .
  29. Web site: Crocodile Fever . Traverse Theatre.
  30. Web site: The Alternative – where does the power lie, who knows best, will anyone ask let alone listen? (Fishamble's A Play For Ireland at Lyric Theatre until Sunday 13 October) . Slugger O'Toole.
  31. Web site: Campbell . Brian . 5 May 2016 . Writer Rosemary Jenkinson on Here Comes The Night, Aphrodite's Kiss and Van Morrison . The Irish News.
  32. Web site: Roy . David . 2 June 2016 . Playwright Gary Mitchell returns to Lyric with Smiley . The Irish News.
  33. News: Theatre review: Death of a Comedian . The Irish Times.
  34. News: Me and my teacher: We look at mentors that inspired you . Belfasttelegraph . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  35. News: We ask actor Matthew McElhinney about the special relationships in his life . Belfasttelegraph . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  36. Web site: 9 July 2015 . Can't Forget About You review – ribald romcom with Northern Irish tension . the Guardian.
  37. News: Whatever became of Kenneth Branagh's Billy? . The Irish Times.
  38. News: Not too late to talk to Billy . Belfasttelegraph . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  39. Web site: The Man Jesus . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com.
  40. Web site: Scott . Sarah . 19 December 2014 . Conleth Kane geared up for West End debut of Molly Wobbly . Irish Mirror.
  41. Web site: Molly Wobbly's T*t Factory . 6 January 2022 . IrishPlayography.com.
  42. Web site: The Civilisation Game . 6 January 2022 . IrishPlayography.com.
  43. Web site: White Star of the North . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com.
  44. Web site: McFadden . Grania . 5 February 2010 . No women, no cry . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  45. News: Santa's other half is on song . Belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  46. Web site: To Be Sure . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  47. Web site: 1974 . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  48. Web site: Merry Christmas Betty Ford . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  49. Web site: The Snow Queen . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  50. Web site: 10 June 2004 . Paradise, Lyric, Belfast . the Guardian.
  51. Web site: Publicity Leaflet for "McCool XXL" | extraORDINARYwomenNI . www.extraordinarywomenni.com.
  52. News: McCool XXL . Belfasttelegraph . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  53. News: Marching on to a new appreciation . Belfasttelegraph . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  54. News: Orangemen may lose all marching on . The Irish Times.
  55. News: The Butterfly of Killybegs . The Irish Times.
  56. Web site: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . 6 January 2022 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  57. News: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . The Irish Times.
  58. Web site: 22 December 2022 . David Pownall obituary . the Guardian.
  59. Web site: Tearing the Loom . Nick Hern Books.
  60. Web site: To Hell with Faust . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  61. Web site: Drive On . DigitalTheatreArchive.com.
  62. Web site: Morrison, Bill (William McKay) | Dictionary of Irish Biography . DIB.ie.
  63. Web site: Graham J. Reid . www.ricorso.net.
  64. Web site: March & April 1994 Production . Galloping Buck Jones . 2022-11-21 . Tinderbox Theatre Company . en-GB.
  65. Web site: The Private Picture Show . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  66. Web site: Digital Theatre Archive . 2022-11-21 . DigitalTheatreArchive.com.
  67. Web site: Pygmies in the ruins WorldCat.org . 2022-11-21 . . en . 1008525386.
  68. 1989 . John McClelland's New Play for the Lyric Theatre: Charlie Gorilla . Theatre Ireland . 21 . 20–23 . 25489471 . JSTOR.
  69. News: Cliff . Brian . 27 October 2017 . Subversive series shows '80s Belfast as shape of things to come . The Irish Times.
  70. News: Margaret D'Arcy obituary: Actor who helped transform theatre in Northern Ireland . The Irish Times.
  71. Web site: Culture Vultures . 6 January 2022 . IrishPlayography.com.
  72. Encyclopedia: 2019 . Boyd, John . . 4 November 2022 . Lunney . Linde . 10.3318/dib.009573.v2.
  73. Harte . Liam . 2 January 2018 . Conversations on a collaboration: an interview with Martin Lynch . Irish Studies Review . 26 . 1 . 124–134 . 10.1080/09670882.2017.1411238 . 149364214 . Taylor and Francis+NEJM . free.
  74. Web site: PROGRAMME: Northern Star, by Stewart Parker (1998) .
  75. Web site: Digital Theatre Archive . DigitalTheatreArchive.com.
  76. Web site: 2020 . Jennifer Johnston at 90 . DLRCoCO.ie.
  77. Web site: 5 June 2015 . Christina Reid obituary . The Guardian.
  78. Russell . Richard Rankin . 2007 . Playing and Singing toward Devolution: Stewart Parker's Ethical Aesthetics in "Kingdom Come" and "Northern Star" . Irish University Review . 37 . 2 . 366–394 . 0021-1427 . 25505047.
  79. Web site: Old Days . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  80. Web site: O'Beirne . Patricia . 2018-08-28 . Provoking performance: challenging the people, the state and the patriarchy in 1980s Irish Theatre . . 89 . pdf . free . 10379/14942.
  81. Web site: Victims . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  82. News: 31 March 1981 . What's On . subscription . . 7 . Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
  83. Web site: Writer Eugene McCabe . RTÉ Archives.
  84. Web site: Digital Theatre Archive . DigitalTheatreArchive.com.
  85. Web site: Making Theatre In Northern Ireland [PDF] [67id1ndsopv0] ]. 2022-11-21 . vdoc.pub . en. https://vdoc.pub/documents/making-theatre-in-northern-ireland-67id1ndsopv0
  86. Web site: Roland Jaquarello Theatre Director/Radio Producer-Director .
  87. Web site: The Street . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]]. https://www.irishplayography.com/play.aspx?playid=30304
  88. Web site: The Rise and Fall of Barney Kerrigan . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  89. Web site: It Would Be Funny... . DigitalTheatreArchive.com.
  90. Web site: We Do It For Love . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  91. News: Wallace . Arminta . 31 July 2009 . Reprise for a raggy boy . The Irish Times.
  92. Web site: The Last Burning . 2022-11-21 . IrishPlayography.com]].
  93. News: Gifted writer felt deeply for poor and deprived . The Irish Times.
  94. Web site: Galvin, Patrick | Dictionary of Irish Biography . DIB.ie.
  95. Web site: Tribute to the late Pat Brannigan . Lyric Theatre Belfast.
  96. Web site: 21 December 2011 . B . UlsterActors.com.
  97. Web site: Humanist Heritage: John Boyd (1912-2002) . Humanist Heritage.
  98. News: 1972-01-19 . LYRIC THEATRE Opening To-night at o'clock World Premiere THE LADS by Joe O'Donnell. . registration . . 9 . Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
  99. Web site: The Flats, 1984 | extraORDINARYwomenNI . extraordinarywomenni.com.
  100. Boyd, John . McIlroy, Brian . 1987 . An Interview with Playwright John Boyd . Irish University Review . 17 . 2 . 242–250 . 25477684 . JSTOR.
  101. Web site: Drama in the Catacombs . 2022-11-21 . DRB . en-US.
  102. Walsh . Ian R . 2014 . Theatricality In Verse: Donagh MacDonagh's 'Happy As Larry' and The Lyric Theatre. . DQR Studies in Literature . 56 . 107–119 . 0921-2507 . .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lyric Theatre, Belfast".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.