Bruiser Theatre Company is proud to present the critically-acclaimed Mojo Mickybo online by Belfast
playwright, Owen McCafferty.
Mojo Mickybo shows the friendship between two boys growing up in Belfast – a friendship that at
first is immune to the sectarian violence taking place around them, but which nonetheless is
ultimately destroyed by it.
“Belfast. The summer of 1970. The heat’s meltin’ the tarmac on the street, the buses are burning
bright and punters are drinking petrol outta milk bottles”. Mojo and his mate Mickybo are two
nine-year-old boys from opposing sides of the sectarian divide. They are ‘thick as two small thieves’, playing headers, being mouthy, building huts, spitting from cinema balconies and reenacting their favourite movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The pair are young cowboys in the making, with the violence of The Troubles only obliquely impacting on them – until finally their friendship is destroyed in a way that they only later come to understand.
This is pure, undiluted storytelling in Bruiser’s trademark dynamic physical style. Fast-paced, darkly funny and action-packed. The show is brought to life by two of our finest local actors, Michael Condron and Terry Keeley, who seamlessly slip in and out of multiple roles and imaginary worlds.
Mojo Mickybo unsentimentally portrays a kind of innocence betrayed by communal hatred, showing the harsh absurdity of sectarianism. Our young heroes, Mojo and Mickybo, represent the division of a benighted country that has spent a century at war with itself. Bruiser Theatre Company are renowned for their fast-paced, energetic, and engaging performances.
Their production of the slapstick comedy The 39 Steps attracted five-star reviews and sell out shows, with reviewers calling it “extraordinary”. Under the meticulous direction of Lisa May, Mojo Mickybo is a success in the making.
Despite venues remaining closed due to the ongoing pandemic, Bruiser are keeping theatre alive
and accessible by releasing the production online. A local production of a local play on an
international stage – a showcase of both Northern Ireland’s talent and complex history to a global
audience.
Mojo Mickybo is supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund. Caoileann
Curry-Thompson, Arts Development Officer for Drama and Dance, Arts Council of Northern
Ireland, commented: “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support Bruiser Theatre Company thanks to The National Lottery players.
“This latest production tells a powerful story and demonstrates the value of the arts in shining a light on and opening discussion around difficult subjects, boasting Bruiser’s trademark physical and dynamic performance style. Owen McCafferty is one of NI’s most accomplished playwrights who’s work really makes the people, language, stories and experiences of this place burst to life and sing on stage and I would encourage everyone to get online and enjoy this terrific production.”
Artistic Director, Lisa May said: “We at Bruiser are very excited to be producing Mojo Mickybo and streaming theatre for a global audience. It flies at breakneck speed, is witty, darkly funny and searingly honest; perfect to explore in Bruiser’s bold physical style. To me, it feels like Owen McCafferty’s love letter to Belfast, warts and all, and shows how sectarian anger is so deeply buried into the psyche of
those who have grown up during the troubles.
“It is passed on to generation after generation. Nostalgic yet damning, hilarious yet heartbreaking; Mojo Mickybo is sadly all too relevant for today’s audience, not just in Northern Ireland but around the world.”
Performances run online at 7pm each evening from 24th-26th June 2021.
Tickets are available now via Eventbrite at:
Check out: www.bruisertheatrecompany.com
