Every time I go down to the building site I'm reminded of what it is we do - plays. A special space for making them is growing daily on Ridgeway Street and every day brings a new scene and a new act.
The progress is unbelievable and the precision remarkable. Last night I watched as the giant steelworks that bind the sides and back wall of the main auditorium together were being dropped into position by the massive cranes.
It was a triumph of engineering and exactitude as the trusses slotted into place precisely between the towering concrete walls five floors up. Ivan the site manager explained that it was within two millimetres tolerance at either end – have a look on a school ruler at two millimetres and then take a look at the picture of the truss – incredible.
We will have a fly tower – we will have a flexible use stage – we will have state of the art technical resources – we will have warm and welcoming front of house facilities and yet we will retain the essence and intimacy of the original Lyric Theatre in the almost 400 seat space – and oh yes WE WILL HAVE GREAT PLAYS. Although we’re still in the nervous throes of raising the final 1m I am confident that with your and my support we are going to get there.
There is no doubt the site is a very dangerous place – hard hats – steel toe capped boots and reflective jackets are the order of the day – but part of me thinks that’s exactly how it should continue even when the building’s done – metaphorically of course.
As I stood overlooking Belfast from the top of the soon to be fly tower I couldn’t help but feel a huge sense of achievement, of excitement and anticipation. There is so much to do and yet so much has been done – there are huge triumphs behind us and many, many more ahead – and standing in a puddle on what felt like the roof of the city on a cold February evening couldn’t stop me from thinking – we’re really doing it!