The Lyric Players began in 1951 when a production of Robert Farren's Lost Light was given before an invited audience in the consulting room of Dr Pearse and Mrs Mary O'Malley's house at 117 Lisburn Road, Belfast.
Act I
A shared passion for theatre, poetry and the arts gave birth to the Lyric Players in 1951, marking the start of one of the most significant movements in Ireland’s theatrical history. Creativity and vision knew no bounds as the company defied the confines of space to stage an inspiring and innovative range of verse plays in the window recess of the consulting room at the home of founding members Dr Pearse and Mary O’Malley.
In 1952 a studio space was developed in a narrow, converted stable loft at the O’Malley’s new home in Derryvolgie Avenue in Belfast where local audiences enjoyed the work of dramatists who were rarely, if ever, staged in the commercial theatre. Over the next sixteen years the group and its activities rapidly expanded to include regular poetry recitals, lectures, art exhibitions, a crafts gallery, publishing and a music and drama school for children. Many of Ireland’s finest artists, writers and performers joined forces with the O’Malleys during this extraordinary period of artistic growth.
Act II
The foundation stone for the purpose-built theatre on Ridgeway Street was laid in 1965, the Centenary year of the birth of W B Yeats and in 1968 the new theatre opened for business. ‘Look Up in the Sun’s Eye’ is engraved above the entrance. The line was taken from a poem by Yeats in which he defends great art against the philistines. The visionary founders of the Lyric were motivated by the fundamental belief that society needs accessible spaces in which artists can have the courage of their convictions and be allowed to soar.
For the forty years from 1968 – 2008, the Lyric became the home of professional, locally produced drama in Northern Ireland, nurturing the careers of several generations of outstanding local talent including actors Liam Neeson, Ciarán Hinds and Adrian Dunbar, and writers Patrick Galvin, John Boyd, Martin Lynch and Marie Jones. As the only full-time producing theatre in Northern Ireland, the Lyric makes a unique and vital contribution to the community. Its mission is to produce high-quality professional theatre that is alive to the complex cultural experience and diverse traditions of the community, and to use the unique power of live theatre to empower, inspire, engage and educate.
Act III
The old theatre served artists and audiences well for forty years, but closed in January 2008 as it was no longer fit for purpose. The Lyric had launched its Time to Rebuild campaign in 2003 followed by one of the most significant capital fundraising challenges ever undertaken by an arts organisation in Northern Ireland. While 72% of the £18.1m project costs were secured through public monies, this still left the Lyric with £5m to raise from private gifts, trusts and foundations, and the corporate sector. The Lyric’s Patron, Liam Neeson, played a pivotal role in raising the profile of the Lyric’s challenge amongst funding bodies and potential donors.