Lyric Theatre Listings For February To May 2015

Lyric Theatre Listings For February. For all shows, contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit: www.lyrictheatre.co.uk Mojo Mickybo [caption id="attachment_54554" align="alignleft" width="220"] Mo Jo Mickey Bo, a tale of two Belfast boys growing up against the backcloth of the troubles.[/caption] Playwright: Owen McCafferty Date(s) and time: Wed 4th – Saturday 7th Feb (8pm) Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Mojo Mickybo is a vibrant and fast-paced tale of two boys growing up in Belfast in the early 1970’s—one from “up the road” the other from “over the bridge”. Their friendship centres on playing headers, spitting from cinema balconies and re-enacting Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid while blissfully unaware of the sectarian violence brewing around them. Prices: £10 Death of a Comedian Playwright: Owen McCafferty Date(s) and time: 07 February 2015 – 01 March 2015 Tues – Sat 7.45pm Sat & Sun 2.30pm Previews Sat 7 Feb 7.45PM / Sun 8 Feb 2.30PM / Tues 10 Feb 10 7.45PM Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – A powerful and deliciously dark comic story about the price of success in the world of stand-up comedy, Death of a Comedian stars Brian Doherty as Steve Johnston – a small-time stand-up comedian with strong opinions about the modern world, aspirations for breaking into the big time, and a reoccurring joke about buying a racehorse. When a well-known agent (Shaun Dingwall) offers to represent him it seems that his moment has arrived, but his girlfriend (Katie McGuinness) isn’t convinced about the agent’s motives. Will Steve get everything he wants – the fame, the money and the girl – or will he lose something even more precious in his pursuit of glory? An Abbey Theatre commission and a co-production between the Lyric Theatre, the Abbey Theatre and Soho Theatre. Prices: Previews and early run matinees £15 Off-peak (Tues & Weds 7.45pm and all matinees) £20 Peak (Thu- Sat 7.45pm) £24.50 This is How We Fly Date(s) and time: 13 February 2015 – (8PM) Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – A collaboration between fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and jazz clarinetist Seán Mac Erlaine already sounds an intriguing proposition, but throw in American hard shoe dancer Nic Gareiss and Swedish percussionist Petter Berndalen and the results are something quite special. The search for common ground between this eclectic quartet has yielded a rich crop of ideas and a debut album that sounds like nothing else. Individually, each member has carved out a reputation for not just mastering their chosen fields, but rising above, redefining and renewing the musical world they come from. Prices: £15 Eddi Reader: Live in Concert Date(s) and time: 16 February 2015 (7:45pm) Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Eddi Reader was brought into the limelight with Fairground Attraction and their single ‘Perfect’ and parent album First of a Million Kisses which both topped the British charts. However, it has been her subsequent solo albums which signalled her increasing ability to assimilate different musical styles and make them all very much her own. From the traditional to the contemporary, Eddi brings to joyous life all forms of song and what sets Reader apart is the depth and quality of the emotional performance; her ability not only to move the listener but to connect her experience to that of her audience. Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk Stitched Up Playwright: Rosemary Jenkinson for C21 Theatre Company Date(s) and time: 17 February 2015 – 21 February 2015 (8pm) Saturday 21 February 3PM & 8PM Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Stitched Up is an entertaining satirical drama about the current crisis within the NHS. A surgeon, Aidan, is reaching meltdown with his career. His wife, Kate, is meanwhile preoccupied with her own campaign to remove the peace walls around Belfast, not to mention the arrival of Bono! But one night, when Aidan is alone, he is forced to make a life-or-death decision that could change everything… Contact number for printing in magazine: Lyric Box Office 028 90381081 Prices £15 Full Price / £12 Concession [caption id="attachment_54556" align="alignright" width="178"] Comedian Jake O’Kane[/caption] Jake O’Kane’s Tongue Lashing Date(s) and time: 01 March (7:45PM) Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Jake O’Kane, star of BBC NI’s hit show ‘The Blame Game’ and the country’s best known political stand-up, returns with his brand new show, ‘Tongue-Lashing’. Following the successes of his earlier ‘Teargas’ and ‘Mouthful’ tours, Jake is back with a ferociously irreverent review of Northern Ireland in 2014. Having created one of the most talked about comedy moments when dealing with the flags issue, Jake now turns his satirical eye on the local issues, events and characters which made the headlines over the past twelve months. Show contains adult reference for 16+ only. Prices £18 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk Dana Masters Live Date(s) and time: 09 March 2015 – 7.45PM Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Fresh from wowing the 11,000 strong crowd at Proms in the Park and a recent performance on BBC NI “The Arts Show”, Dana Masters plays the Lyric Theatre for the first time as a solo artist with the backing of Linley Hamilton and band. Dana covers Soul classics and Jazz standards, filling her songs with a redemptive power and a heartfelt passion that speaks directly to your soul…..not to be missed. Prices £17.50 St Patricks Eve with McPeake Date(s) and time: 09 March 2015 – 7.45PM Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Ask Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, or Bono about the roots of Irish Music, and they will point you to the McPeake Family! The four generations of the McPeake Family are one of those rare Irish gems that have been whispered as ‘folk-royalty.’ Their beloved song Wild Mountain Thyme has been on the lips of music lovers across the globe – in Irish pubs, concert halls, and music festivals worldwide – since it was first performed in the late 1940s. This hauntingly beautiful folk anthem has been covered by music superstars such as Glen Frey (The Eagles), Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan and Judy Collins, to name but a few. Prices £15 Full Price / £12.50 Concession. As part of the Belfast Children’s Festival Fragile Date(s) and time: Wed 11 & Thurs 12 Mar – 7.30PM – Running time: 50 mins. Thurs 12 March (11AM) Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Spanish artists Onirica Mecanica present a performance of robots and objects exploring the place that machines and technology has in our world today. Recommended age: 8+ Prices Adults (£10) Children (£8) Website: www.youngatart.co.uk Nipt ‘Narrow’ Date(s): Fri 06 March 2015 – Sun 08 March Times Fri, Sat & Sun 6pm, Sat 4pm Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – A man lives in a small house, he gets a visit from a woman. They seem born for each other. She moves in with him. The house is small but the love is great. Large enough to be so close. Yet so close that it becomes cramped. And that hurts… Running time: 50 mins. Recommended age: 6+ Prices Adults £10 / Children £8 Website: www.youngatart.co.uk God Bless The Child Writer: Based on stories by Frank O’Connor / Adapted and Directed by Patrick Talbot Date(s) and time: 11 March 2015 – 21 March 2015 Wed – Sat 7.45PM Sat Matinee 2.30PM Additional performances Sun 15 2.30PM & Tues 17 7.45PM Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – First confessions are the hardest… The short stories of Cork-born Frank O’Connor are universally regarded as being classics of their kind. Now, Patrick Talbot has taken three of the funniest stories and adapted and directed them for the stage. My Oedipus Complex, The Genius and First Confession are brought together in a single full-length play – God Bless The Child will provide a hugely entertaining and uplifting night of theatre. Prices: Off Peak (Tues – Thurs Eve & matinees) £18 / Peak (Fri & Sat Eve) £22. Eternal Love Writer: Howard Brenton Date(s): TUES 24 – SAT 28 MAR Times: TUES – SAT 7.30PM / THURS 10.30AM / SAT 2PM Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – A new spirit of philosophical and religious enquiry is growing in 12th century France. Peter Abelard, a man of great learning and independence of mind, starts a war of ideas with the powerful Abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux. Then he begins a wild affair with his equally brilliant student, Heloise, and his enemies find just the pretext they need to destroy him. Following the success of last year’s production, 55 Days, this year’s students from the Lyric’s flagship training programme for young people, the Drama Studio, return to the work of Howard Brenton Prices: £10 / CONCESSIONS £6. The Pillowman Writer: Martin McDonagh Date(s) and time: Tues 24 Mar – Sun 19 Apr / Previews March 24, 25 & 26 Times: Tues – Sat 7.45pm / Sat & Sun 2.30pm Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – From internationally-acclaimed author Martin McDonagh, writer and director of feature films such as In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, comes the first ever Irish tour of The Pillowman. When stories become gruesome reality, surely it can only be the author who is to blame? An interrogation room. Two police officers are determined to make a young writer pay the ultimate price for telling tales, when it   [caption id="attachment_54552" align="alignright" width="390"] Pillowmatranspires that the content of some of his short stories bear an uncanny similarity to horrific real-life crimes. Following the success of their recent tour of McDonagh’s A Skull in Connemara, Decadent Theatre Company return with this must-see production. The Pillowman celebrates the raw, vital human instinct to invent fantasies, to lie for sport, to con for one’s own end. Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman is as dark a comedy as it is possible to find.[/caption] Prices: Off Peak Previews £15 / Off-Peak (Tues – Thurs Evening + matinees) £20 / Peak (Fri & Sat Evening) £24.50 The Nualas Date(s) and time: Sun 29 March (7:45) Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – In their most dangerous show ever The Nualas break the mould they made previously with a deluge of new songs, higher harmonies, different keys and slightly shorter dresses, if that’s possible! And there’s more – expect new Nuala revelations, harder laughs, slicker riffs, and even tighter foundation wear, if that’s possible! When this show previewed in Dolan’s of Leitrim at least three Gardai and a relationship counselor had to be called. As part of their ensuing community service (six weeks scooping out litter from the Shannon) the girls were obliged, as a warning, to call this sweltering new show, Lock Up Your Husbands. You have been warned. Prices £16 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk [caption id="attachment_54548" align="alignleft" width="350"] Fly Me To The Moon is coming to the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.[/caption] Man in the Moon Writer: Pearse Elliot Date(s) and time: Mon 20 – Fri 24 April Times: Tues – Sat 7.45pm / Sat & Sun 2.30pm Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – After a four week off-Broadway run in New York City where the play was nominated for ‘Best Play’, ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Director’ at the 1st Irish Theatre Festival, Brassneck Theatre Company are delighted to be back on home soil again at the Lyric for one week only! Sean Doran hasn’t had the best of luck. He’s been sacked from his job, his girlfriend and child have left him and he’s back living in his ma’s house… If this kid bought a duck, it would drown. Alone with a carry-out at the Half Moon Lake, Sean reflects on his life so far as he tries to make sense of it all. Over the course of one moonlit evening, he takes us on a soul-searching journey through life, love and death, via his past, present and future. A hilarious rollercoaster with a dark twist, Man In The Moon is the tender story of one man’s resolve, to overcome everything that life has to throw at him. Contains Strong Language. Prices: Off Peak Mon – Thurs £16 / Concessions £14 / Fri £20 / Concessions £18 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk The 4 of Us Date(s) and time: Sun 26 April (7:45) Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – The 4 Of Us bring their 25th anniversary acoustic show to the Lyric Theatre showcasing songs from their brand new album, as well as songs from their extensive back catalogue. From their first anthem Mary – still a radio favourite, through to the UK-charting She Hits Me, to Sunlight – the band has notched up over two decades of radio hits and six Top 20 charting albums. Don’t miss this rare chance to catch them live. Prices £20 Shadow of a Gunman Writer: Sean O’Casey Date(s) : Sun 3 May – Sat 6 Jun Previews May 3, 5 & 6 See WWW.LYRICTHEATRE.CO.UK FOR FULL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE and concessions. SCHOOLS PERFORMANCES AVAILABLE Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – …what danger can there be in being the shadow of a gunman? Donal Davoren struggles over his poetry as he battles to find peace in a busy Dublin tenement. Outside, Ireland descends into a vicious guerrilla war. Donal’s neighbours believe he is a gunman on the run. The way Minnie Powell looks at him encourages him to play along. However, when the city is placed under curfew, his fantasy starts to feel uncomfortably real. Wayne Jordan (The Plough and the Stars, Twelfth Night) returns to the plays of Sean O’Casey to direct this exciting co-production between the Lyric Theatre and the Abbey Theatre. Prices: Previews and selected matinees £15 Off – Peak (Tues & Weds 7.45pm and all other matinees) £20 Peak (Thurs – Sat 7.45pm) £24.50 Schools £10 + Every 11th ticket free Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk Frank Pig Says Hello Date(s): Tues 12 – Thurs 14 May Times: 8PM / Wed 10.30AM Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Pat McCabe is one of Ireland’s most daringly original writers. Frank Pig Says Hello is his stage version of his highly acclaimed novel The Butcher Boy which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Set in 1960s rural Ireland, it is a poignant and provocative journey into the heart and mind of Francie Brady, a young man driven beyond the boundaries of his mental and emotional health. Over 30 characters are played by two versatile actors, Patrick McBrearty and Stefan Dunbar, in a powerfully evocative and rewarding theatre experience. Prices £12 / CONCESSIONS £10 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk  The Games People Play Date(s): Fri 15 – Sun 17 May Times: Fri & Sat 8PM / Sat 2.45PM / Sun 1.30PM Location: Naughton Studio, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Winner of Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the sell-out success of Dublin Fringe Festival, Rise Productions returns with The Games People Play, the follow-up to their international smash hit Fight Night. Described as “THE state of the nation play for the negative equity generation,” this is a radical re-working of the Tír na nÓg myth. Niamh and Oisín were sold the dream – the house, the life, the kids. But what do you do when everything you ever dreamed of still isn’t enough? One night, a series of games starts to escalate, and threatens to unravel their suburban paradise. Touching family drama meets epic Celtic mythology, presented in the trademark ‘Theatre Strong Style’ of Rise Productions. Prices Evenings £14 / Matinees £12 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk My Fair Ladies Date(s): Fri 15 – Sun 17 May Times: Mon – Sat 7:45pm Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Celebrating his 80th year in 2015, one of Ireland’s most renowned actors and performers, Des Keogh, gets to fulfil a life-long ambition to play legendary Irish man of letters George Bernard Shaw. Following the phenomenal world-wide success of his show The Love-Hungry Farmer by John B. Keane, which had a very successful run at the Lyric in 2013, Des has devised and will perform in a hugely entertaining new play about the many ladies in the extraordinary life of one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Prices Off-peak (Mon – Wed) £18 / Concessions £16 / Peak (Thurs – Sat) £22 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk Yer Granny by the National Theatre of Scotland ]Date(s): Tues 23 – Sat 27 June Times: Tues – Sat 7.45PM & Sat 2.30PM Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Yer Granny is a riotous new comedy about a diabolical 100-yearold granny who’s literally eating her family out of house and home. She’s already eaten their fish and chip shop into bankruptcy and now she’s working her way through their kitchen cupboards, pushing the Russo family to desperate measures just to survive beyond 1977. As proud head of the family, Cammy is determined that The Minerva Fish Bar will rise again and that family honour will be restored – and all in time for the Queen’s upcoming Jubilee visit. But before Cammy’s dream can come true and before Her Maj can pop in for a chat, a single sausage and a royal seal of approval, the family members must ask themselves how far they will go to solve a problem like Yer Granny. Adapted from the smash-hit Argentinian comedy classic La Nona, the cast of Yer Granny features some of Scotland’s best-loved performers, including Gregor Fisher (Rab C Nesbitt) in the title role, alongside Paul Riley (Still Game), Jonathan Watson (Only An Excuse?), Maureen Beattie (Casualty), Barbara Rafferty (Rab C Nesbitt), Brian Pettifer (Rab C Nesbitt) and Louise McCarthy (Men Should Weep). Age recommended: 14+ Prices Off-peak (Tues – Thurs + matinee) £20 / Peak (Fri & Sat evening) £24.50 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk  The Holy, Holy Bus Writer: Pearse Elliot Date(s): TUE 30 JUNE – FRI 10 JULY Times: Tues – Sat 7.45PM / Sat & Sun 2.30pm Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Winner of the Belfast Telegraph audience award at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queens, The Holy, Holy Bus is on the road again!!! There is a bus that leaves a West Belfast parish once a year to see the holy sites of Ireland… the locals refer to it as, ‘The Holy, Holy Bus’. Join four of the female faithful on a journey of personal pilgrimage, which by the time they have returned home, will have changed all of their lives forever. A hilariously madcap adventure about love, hope, happiness and faith, The Holy, Holy Bus will have you laughing, crying and even praying for some divine inspiration along the journey! Prices OFF-PEAK (TUES-THURS evening + matinees) £18 / Concessions £14 PEAK (FRI & SAT evening) £20 /Concessions £18 Gulliver’s Travels in association with Youth Music Theatre UK Directed by Des Kennedy Music by Duke Special Book by Andrew Doyle Choreographed by Jennifer Rooney Date(s): TUE 30 JUNE – FRI 10 JULY Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – Gulliver’s Travels returns to Northern Ireland – its place of inspiration – this summer – in a spectacular musical adaptation from the creative team behind the West End’s Once The Musical with music from platinum-selling singer songwriter Duke Special and book by stand-up comedian Andrew Doyle. Voyage through unknown lands with mythical creatures and witness Jonathan Swift’s classic satirical tale magically brought to life on stage. Swift conceived the idea of a ‘giant’s story’ while overlooking Belfast from Cave Hill and subsequently wrote the majority of Gulliver’s Travels in Cookstown, County Tyrone! Follow Lemuel Gulliver on his whirlwind expedition when he finds himself washed ashore after a devastating shipwreck. Captured by the miniature beings of Lilliput and exploited by the giants of Brobdingnag, Gulliver journeys through wild lands encountering new civilisations, experiencing all things weird and wonderful. Step aboard; the adventure awaits… Prices £12 / Concessions £9 / Under 5s £6 Fly Me To The Moon Writer: Marie Jones Date(s): Thurs 6 – Sat 22 Aug Times: Tues – Sat 7.45PM / Sat & Sun 2.30PM Location: Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre Belfast Description – After the sell-out success of Mistletoe and Crime at the Lyric, comes another hilarious Marie Jones comedy. Francis and Loretta are community care visitors. Davy, one of their elderly charges, has had a significant win on the horses, but he doesn’t know. When the cash-strapped women learn that Davey will not be around for a considerable time they are faced with a mouthwatering dilemma. Marie Jones is the author of some of the most successful plays ever produced on the island of Ireland. This play, which reunites Mistletoe and Crime stars Katie Tumelty and Tara-Lynne O’Neill, investigates whether we are valued more in life or in death. Age recommended: 14+ Prices Off-Peak (Tues & Wed + Matinees) £20 /Concessions £16 / Peak (Thurs – Sat) £22.50 Contact Lyric Box Office on 028 90381081 or visit: www.lyrictheatre.co.uk]]>