Categories - productions and events
Posted on 17 May 2013Move over Scandinavia - Northern Ireland is fast becoming the new hotbed for exciting TV drama from HBO's hit series Game of Thrones to BBC2's The Fall - and among the casts are many familiar faces from the local stage.
Posted on 14 May 2013Twelve years after it first took the Lyric Theatre by storm, Marie Jones' hugely popular comedy, Weddins, Weeins and Wakes returns to the Belfast stage as rehearsals got underway this week.
Posted on 09 May 2013The Lyric and Perth Theatre's joint production of The Seafarer has been shortlisted in three categories at the annual Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) - best ensemble, best production and best director.
Posted on 02 May 2013Veteran Belfast actor Jimmy Ellis was the star attraction off-stage at the World Premiere of Love, Billy at the Lyric Theatre on 1 May.
Posted on 23 April 2013Two of Northern Ireland's hottest theatrical talents have come together to stage a new "laugh-out-loud" romantic comedy at the Lyric Theatre which began rehearsals this week. Star of stage and screen Conleth Hill (The Shore, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) makes his directorial debut at the Lyric with the theatre's first Playwright-in-Residence David Ireland's new play.
Posted on 19 April 2013Just like the famous character he created, the playwright Graham Reid has returned home to Belfast from England as rehearsals reach their final stages for his new Billy play.
Posted on 28 March 2013As Easter approaches the Lyric offers a feast of theatrical talent with a double helping of two very different one-man shows. The Danske Bank Stage will be blessed until 20 April with the unbelievably talented Simon Callow who stars in the world premiere of The Man Jesus which previews from this weekend.
Posted on 26 March 2013Famous for his Royal Shakespeare performances and the hit film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Simon Callow takes on the role of his life in a new one-man play which examines the character of Jesus. The world-renowned actor arrived in Belfast today to prepare for the premiere of The Man Jesus at the Lyric Theatre which opens in Easter week and runs until 20 April.
Posted on 12 March 2013The excitement has been building since the Lyric Theatre commissioned Graham Reid to write a fifth instalment of the successful Billy plays. Now the Lyric can reveal that popular star of TV and theatre, Joe McGann will step into the shoes of Sir Kenneth Branagh to lead the cast of Love, Billy this May.
Posted on 27 February 2013One of Belfast's literary giants, the award-winning poet Michael Longley, will take to the stage of the Lyric Theatre this Sunday (3 March) as part of a celebration of the city's 400th anniversary.
Posted on 26 February 2013Conor McPherson's Tony and Olivier Award nominated play The Seafarer has its Northern Ireland premiere at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast this week after it wowed critics in Scotland.
Posted on 25 February 2013Rehearsals begin today for the headline show at the Lyric Theatre this Spring - The Man Jesus starring world-renowned actor Simon Callow.
Posted on 14 February 2013Punk music and teenage kicks will take centre stage at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast next week when it presents a double bill of film and theatre inspired by the punk era of the late seventies/early eighties.
Posted on 24 January 2013Good heavens! World-renowned actor Simon Callow headlines a packed programme of plays, events and concerts at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast with his own one-man show playing Jesus.
Simon Callow - famous for his Royal Shakespeare performances and the hit film Four Weddings and a Funeral - will star in the premiere of The Man Jesus by Matthew Hurt at the Lyric this Easter.
Posted on 08 January 2013Rehearsals have begun for the first in a season of Belfast plays at the Lyric Theatre to celebrate 400 years since the city received its charter as a town.
Posted on 27 December 2012While most places are shut for the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Lyric Theatre in Belfast is bustling with two shows on stage and one in rehearsals.
Posted on 13 December 2012Next year marks 400 years since Belfast was founded and to mark the anniversary the Lyric Theatre is producing a season of plays which capture the spirit of the city - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Posted on 06 December 2012Just when the cast thought they'd learnt all their lines, the writers of the Lyric Theatre's comedy review of the year have had to scribble new scenes to take account of the fast-rolling news agenda.
Posted on 03 December 2012A young Co Tyrone actor is set to enchant audiences with his glittering debut at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast in the bewitching Christmas musical, Hansel + Grettel.
Posted on 28 November 2012Four budding young artists have won family tickets for Hansel + Grettel after their pictures came top of the class in the Lyric's School Drawing Competition.
Posted on 22 November 2012As millions of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day today, the Lyric Theatre has come up with some essential facts about turkey to celebrate its forthcoming Christmas show.
Posted on 05 November 2012Complete the magic of Christmas with a trip to the multi-award-winning Lyric Theatre this year. The Belfast theatre has two fantastic treats for the Christmas season, Hansel + Grettel - a revamped fairy-tale for the kids and Forget Turkey! (We're going to Phuket this Christmas) - a laugh-a-minute review of the year for those too old for a Santa stocking.
Posted on 10 October 2012The Lyric Theatre production of knife crime drama The Long Road was performed inside Hydebank Wood prison for an audience of up to 40 women prisoners this week.
Posted on 20 September 2012Seven summers ago a teenage boy went to buy sweets one evening in north Belfast and never came home. Thomas Devlin was mercilessly stabbed in an unprovoked attack and bled to death.
Posted on 11 September 2012The autumn season at the Lyric Theatre kicks off this week with a mad maelstrom of music, drink and mayhem in the celebrated Irish classic, The Playboy of the Western World by J.M Synge.
Posted on 01 September 2012A formidable cast assembled this week for the start of rehearsals for Macbeth - the first Lyric production of Shakespeare on the Northern Bank Stage and the bard's bloodiest. The most popular of Shakespeare's tragedies, Macbeth combines the potent ingredients of witchcraft, royalty and jealous ambition in a psychological thriller that reaches a brutal climax.
Posted on 07 August 2012Conall Morrison who won Best Director at the Irish Times Theatre Awards earlier this year for the Lyric Theatre's acclaimed production of The Crucible returns to direct The Playboy of the Western World.
Posted on 01 August 2012Her Majesty the Queen may have displayed a comic touch at the Olympics Opening Ceremony, but one wonders what One would make of the latest show from the theatre that staged Her recent historic handshake with Martin McGuinness.
Posted on 25 July 2012The bras are getting packed and the feather boas dusted down, as the Lyric Theatre's musical sensation of the summer prepares to set sail for Scotland.
Posted on 19 June 2012The Lyric Theatre, Belfast is delighted to announce that West End star Leanne Jones is joining its much anticipated production of the new musical comedy Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory next month.
Posted on 15 June 2012While most of the country is praying for an end to the wet weather, the Lyric Theatre is hoping that the rain will persist as audiences soak up its latest production.
Posted on 14 May 2012A satirical masterpiece with an elegant set and sophisticated costumes is this summer's treat at the Lyric Theatre Belfast.
Posted on 05 April 2012EVER wondered who to blame for society's ills - the parents, the youth of today… ourselves? Rehearsals are under way at the Lyric Theatre Belfast this week for The Civilisation Game - a sparky new comedy which takes a wry look at our so-called 'broken society'.
Posted on 12 March 2012In a year of significant anniversaries, the Lyric Theatre is proud to present its First Anniversary Season bound to entice you - if you haven't already - across the threshold of this magnificent building.
Posted on 27 February 2012The Lyric Theatre in Belfast is celebrating after winning two awards in Dublin topping a fantastic first year in its stunning new building. The awards celebrated the success of the Lyric's first production in the new theatre - Arthur Miller's The Crucible - one of the most praised productions in the awards.
Posted on 30 January 2012Tickets go on sale today for a world premiere that explores the human drama behind the events of 1912, the most famous year in Belfast's history, the year of Titanic and the Ulster Covenant.
Posted on 05 January 2012Rehearsals have begun in the Lyric Theatre for Uncle Vanya with a stunning cast that includes Conleth Hill in the title role. Written by Ireland's leading playwright Brian Friel after Chekhov, Uncle Vanya will open next month on the theatre's Northern Bank Stage.
Posted on 01 December 2011The much-anticipated musical debut by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, son of Andrew, and his co-writer James D. Reid looks set to enchant theatre-goers across the region as The Little Prince enjoys its world premiere this weekend on the Northern Bank Stage of Belfast's Lyric Theatre.
Posted on 30 October 2011The Lyric Theatre's roots may be in theatre, but two folk music gigs in quick succession will dramatically enhance the repertoire.
Posted on 24 October 2011Rehearsals began today in the Lyric Theatre of a new musical adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince. Written by the younger generation of the Lloyd Webber dynasty, Nicholas, and James D. Reid, The Little Prince will be the Christmas treat on the Northern Bank Stage of the newly opened Lyric Theatre, Belfast from 1 December.
Posted on 21 October 2011Over 200 schoolchildren enjoyed a sneak preview of the Lyric Theatre's Christmas treat, The Little Prince, in advance of rehearsals starting on Monday. Nicholas Lloyd Webber and James D. Reid's first full scale musical collaboration has attracted a first rate musical theatre cast.
Posted on 27 September 2011Experience cosmetic surgery as you've never heard it before in the Lyric Theatre concert version of Paul Boyd's new comedy musical Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory.
Posted on 14 September 2011Laughter at the Lyric beckons with The Painkiller, a new comedy co-produced by the theatre alongside one of Belfast's most famous sons Kenneth Branagh and writer/director Sean Foley. The Painkiller stars Branagh along with comedian of the moment Rob Brydon in the English language première of Francis Veber's French comedy.
Posted on 24 August 2011The Lyric Theatre's new season begins this week with two iconic theatre companies performing under the one roof: the Lyric Theatre's production of Owen McCafferty's The Absence of Women and the Abbey Theatre' s production of B FOR BABY.
Posted on 11 August 2011The Lyric Theatre and Northern Bank are giving the public a chance to see the magic of the stage come to life with the launch of an innovative interactive wall.
Posted on 05 August 2011The Lyric Theatre's commitment to showcasing the work of local writers on a wider platform sees its new production of Owen McCafferty's The Absence of Women as the first play staged in the new theatre to go on tour.
Posted on 29 July 2011The Lyric Theatre invited eleven children and their host families from the Newtownabbey branch of the Chernobyl Children Appeal NI to watch a performance of The Jungle Book and meet the cast afterwards. The theatre's critically acclaimed production of The Jungle Book runs at the Lyric Theatre until 14 August.
Posted on 18 July 2011A spectacular jungle complete with vines, a river and trees has covered the Northern Bank Stage of the Lyric Theatre as the venue prepares for its first family show, a new musical adaptation of The Jungle Book opening on Saturday 23 July. For the first time since its opening, the theatre's brand new forestage will be put to use, making the performance space even bigger and showing off the theatre's facilities.
Posted on 05 July 2011The Lyric Theatre hosted a motivational Skills Exchanges Event in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company on 2 and 3 July at the new theatre. The Lyric is a regional partner in the RSC's Open Stages project, which engages with amateur theatre companies.
Posted on 04 July 2011Due to demand and prior to a tour to Perth and London's Tricycle Theatre, the Lyric Theatre will revive Owen McCafferty's play The Absence of Women in August 2011.
Posted on 16 May 2011Renowned Ulster actor Adrian Dunbar makes a return to the Lyric Theatre directing and playing Irish National Treasure Brendan Behan in Brendan at the Chelsea.
Posted on 28 March 2011With just over a month to go until the opening of the new £18m Lyric Theatre, today saw an historic occasion with the first rehearsal for the first production, Arthur Miller's The Crucible. The cast of 19 actors - a mix of Lyric stalwarts and new faces - got a glimpse of the theatre's auditorium and took their first tentative steps onto the Northern Bank Stage where, on 1st May, the drama will begin.
Posted on 20 January 2011With only 100 days remaining until the grand re-opening, the Lyric Theatre today announced highlights from its dramatic first season in a spectacular new £18.1million building on the banks of the River Lagan.
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Monday 24 January for a season that sees familiar names such as Kenneth Branagh, Rob Brydon and Adrian Dunbar sharing the spotlight with the next generation of theatre talent, including Nicholas Lloyd Webber.
Posted on 07 October 2010The Lyric Theatre is delighted to announce that Rachel O'Riordan has received a TMA Best Director nomination for the Lyric's production of The Absence of Women, written by Owen McCafferty. The TMA Theatre Awards ceremony celebrates the best of British theatre from around the United Kingdom.
Posted on 24 May 2010Closing this Saturday 29 May, Molière's classic costume comedy, The Miser, in partnership with the Ulster Bank, is the Lyric's final production in Elmwood Hall before re-opening the new theatre at Ridgeway Street, Belfast next spring. The Lyric then embarks with The Miser on its largest tour of the island of Ireland from 31 May to 9 July.
Posted on 29 April 2010Clothing from the seventeenth century is not the normal wardrobe attire for a night on the town, but for the Lyric's Costume Designer for The Miser, Diana Ennis, designing and sourcing tight corsets, tassels, bum rolls, silk shoes, velvet capes, legal eagle wigs and shiny shoes is part of her normal routine.
Posted on 28 April 2010Rehearsals are continuing for Moliere's classic costume comedy, The Miser, produced by the Lyric Theatre and in partnership with the Ulster Bank, opens at the Elmwood Hall this Friday 30 April. The fun and frolics of rehearsals is still being captured on video.
Posted on 13 April 2010Opening on Friday 30 April, Molière's classic costume comedy, The Miser, in partnership with the Ulster Bank, is the Lyric's final production in Elmwood Hall before re-opening the new theatre at Ridgeway Street, Belfast next spring. This week the cast and crew got together for rehearsals and for the first time the moment was captured on video.
Posted on 08 April 2010Belfast's flagship Lyric Theatre, where Liam Neeson started his professional career, will embark on the most extensive tour in its history this spring, thanks to an exciting new partnership with Ulster Bank.
Posted on 25 January 2010The Lyric Theatre has cast Karl Johnson and Ian McElhinney, both notable for their acting careers on stage, film and television, for its world premiere next month in Owen McCafferty's play The Absence of Women.
Posted on 15 January 2010Carol Moore directs Peter Ballance, Niall Cusack and Richard Dormer in this rehearsed reading of a modern classic next Thu 21 & Fri 22 Jan
Posted on 12 January 2010The Lyric Theatre has cast Karl Johnson and Ian McElhinney, both notable for their acting careers on stage, film and television, for its world premiere next month in Owen McCafferty's play The Absence of Women.
Posted on 05 January 2010The Lyric Theatre drama studio presents a bloodthirsty tale this New Year with 'A Vampire Story'.
Posted on 24 November 2009Get into the Christmas spirit with The Tale of the Beauty and the Tail of the Beast, this year's family Christmas treat from the Lyric theatre at Elmwood Hall. Family ticket only £48 (4 tickets)
Posted on 23 November 2009No need to wait any longer, the curtain has gone up on Grimes & McKee's brand new comedy, Howl!
Posted on 09 November 2009Conor Grimes & Alan McKee will return to the stage with their inimitable brand of tomfoolery in the brand new comedy Howl!
Posted on 19 October 2009The Lyric Theatre is delighted to present one of Molière's greatest works The Miser in the Elmwood Hall as part of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's. The piece is adapted by the hugely successful local writer David Johnston, whose version of The Hypochondriact delighted critics and audiences alike when it was produced by the Lyric in 2007. With Dan Gordon directing, you'll be sure The Miser will be an entertaining night out.
Posted on 18 September 2009Belfast born actresses Geraldine Hughes and Stella McCusker take to the Elmwood Hall stage from Friday 18 September for the Lyric Theatre's production of Martin McDonagh's multi award winning play The Beauty Queen of Leenane. The strong cast also includes Stephen Darcy and Matthew McElhinney.
Posted on 01 September 2009The Lyric Theatre will raise its curtains in the beautiful surroundings of Elmwood Hall this September.
Posted on 20 August 2009The Lyric Theatre, Northern Ireland's only full-time producing theatre, today announced full details of its plans to stage an exciting autumn/winter season at the Elmwood Hall.
Posted on 14 January 2009The Lyric Theatre will be treating Brian Friel fans to an all-star cast performance of The Home Place at the Grand Opera House (GOH) this February.
Posted on 06 January 2009
Posted on 07 January 2008GLINDA'S GLITTER BALL on Sunday 13th January 2008 is a special Gala Performance of The Wizard of Oz designed to raise funds to build a new home for the Lyric on Ridgeway Street. Actor James Nesbitt is the latest celebrity to join the star-studded line-up for this unique show, the last ever public performance at the Lyric Theatre.