Category: CQAF2019 Theatre

Born in 1890 on a poor farm in Glenties, Patrick MacGill had three years of schooling before being presented for hire at Strabane Hiring Fair at the age of twelve.

At 14 he travelled to Scotland with a squad of tattiehowkers, often sleeping rough while eking out a living.Despite all the odds, this young Irish migrant worker managed to educate himself, becoming famous as ‘The Navvy Poet’.

Belfast folk-singers Jane Cassidy and Maurice Leyden draw on MacGill’s two most acclaimed works, Children of the Dead End and The Rat-Pit, in which he brings to life the soul-destroying struggles of the migrant worker, and his triumph over them.

They are joined on stage by Scottish singer Derek Williamson. All three narrate, sing and play keyboard, guitars, mandolin and fiddle. Archive photos of MacGill, Donegal and Scotland at the turn of the 20th Century provide an atmospheric and poignant backdrop.

Doors 7.45pm | Unreserved Seating

A frank and funny new play about friendship, feminism and what it means to be successful, this Elinor Crooks play, an Irish premiere, is a tale of mid-20’s angst as Jane, Bella and Toby deal with the difficulties of accepting adulthood and what that means for their lives.

Jane and Bella are best friends. They’re starting a revolution. But they’re falling out of step. Toby dreams of babies, buggies, and home improvement. But he can’t even care for a cat. And a boy keeps telling Jane to take what she wants. But what is that, exactly?

Three twenty-somethings attempt to make sense of their own uncertain worlds. Even if it means losing sight of each other in the process.

What has changed. What has not. What we remember. And what we try to forget.

In 1989, as the Berlin Wall splits open, a young girl looks forward to life beyond communism; a couple unravels, and 80s TV permeates everything.

A story of love, breaking free and Europe, from Two Destination Language.

‘Fallen Fruit is thoughtful stuff about political walls and personal barriers’ – LYN GARDNER

‘As she sweats with the effort of breaking down walls,her charming smile traded for a grimace of determination, Fallen Fruit reveals the process of change for what it is: hard work.’ – THE GUARDIAN

‘Fallen Fruit has rich, rich ground to explore. Radeva’s performance is ripe with vivid images from her childhood’ – ALICE SAVILLE-EXEUNT

Richard Stamp has been a comedy performer for over 30 years and has successfully toured the globe with his
comedy creations, notably Half Naked Chef, and his art installations.

In 2018, whilst on the other side of the world, Richard was diagnosed with Penile Cancer, a rare form of cancer, with
less than 1 in 100,000 men suffering from the disease in UK. It is one of the easiest cancers to treat if it is caught early.

Dick is the deeply personal hilarious and emotive telling of his story, with his cancer, from diagnosis through to options
with prosthetics.

‘Ground-breaking theatre from the eminent breaker of
ground’ – FRINGE

Doors 1.45pm | Unreserved Seating

“Even your words are disappearing. I only have a handful left.”

Civil war breaks out in the U.S. Snipers patrol the rooftops; militias are targeting newsrooms. A journalist escapes on a cruise ship & finds herself in Belfast. The press are keen to talk to the stowaway, but anything she says will put her friends in danger. Told via phone messages to her lover back home, STOWAWAY CITY traces her story as she weighs the consequences of speaking out. In this immersive audio play, listeners will be free to explore a 360° virtual soundscape of Belfast in the Sonic Lab at SARC. The narrative unfolds as you move through the space, navigating the story and the city with your ears only.

*Note on visiting the Sonic Lab: Please wear flat, comfortable shoes with a reasonably thick sole. This is because the floor is a metal grid that allows sound to come from the basement.

Doors 15 minutes before show