CQAF2026 - Theatre Archives

BIFF to the Future

Posted on 12th December 202526th March 2026 by site_admin

The iconic villain of Back to the Future takes centre stage in this comedic reimagination of Biff Tannen’s time-traveling escapades, turning the celebrated cinematic trilogy on its head from the perspective of the bully audiences love to hate.

This new, heartfelt and unauthorised parody explores the highs and lows of a life chasing power, fame and fortune, reliving Biff’s encounters with Marty and the Doc across the centuries. For superfans and newcomers alike!

Created by and starring Joseph Maudsley (as seen in the Reduced Shakespeare Company,FRIEND and Potted Potter). Directed by double Olivier Award nominee Daniel Clarkson.

“Joseph Maudsley is a master of subtle and effective humour” – Theatre Weekly.

2025 Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Award

Mary Ann, The Forgotten Sister:  a theatrical walking tour

Posted on 6th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

Revolutionary, educationalist, businesswoman, feminist, social reformer and abolitionist, Mary Ann McCracken was one of the people that shaped the rapidly growing city of Belfast but was largely written out of history because she was a woman.

This powerful theatrical walking tour charts the life and times of this remarkable woman and her effect on Belfast during her 96 years.

……a fascinating way to gain knowledge of our past……

More than a beloved sister to Henry Joy but a sister to Belfast. Beloved of Belfast.

Hopefully, by knowing her story you’ll know her.And by knowing her, you’ll better know Belfast.

Written by Clare McMahon
Directed by Paula McFetridge
Presented by Kabosh

Beginning at Clifton Cemetery (Henry Street) and concluding at Clifton House

Performances run Thursday – Sunday only.

Thursdays/Fridays: 6PM
Saturdays: 11am + 2:30PM
Sundays: 11am + 2:30PM

Run Time: 80 Mins

Featuring Calla Hughes, Louise Mathews and Carol Moore.

Costume Design by Úna Hickey

Musical Direction by Jane Cassidy

Stage Manager: Debra Hill

Meeting Point: Clifton Cemetery (Henry Street)

End Point: Clifton House

Troubled

Posted on 12th December 202513th April 2026 by site_admin

Written and performed by Suzy Crothers

It’s 1993, Mum won’t let Alice go to Funderland because Belfast is burning.

‘How about Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Chinese chicken balls instead?’ Fast forward to 2023, where Alice meets Tim, finally falling in love (finally) but can she escape the legacy of a childhood shaped by conflict or is this the moment everything unravels? Troubled is an extraordinary tale of love, loss and human connection- told with tea and biscuits.

Blending storytelling, projection, and audience interaction, Troubled reckons with the past, offering us renewed hope for the future.

REVIEWS

One of ‘The Young female stars of the fringe theatre’ (The Scotsman 2025)

️️FINALIST for the 2025 Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award in partnership with The Scotsman.

️The Scotsman: 4 STARS ‘Warm intelligence and humour and a steady supply of tea and biscuits’

️The List: ‘It might even change your life a little’

️The Irish Voice: ‘A brilliantly clever piece of theatre’, ‘Utterly captivating’, ‘She had us in the palm of her hand’

️One 4 Review: 4.5 STARS ‘Her presence alone is magnetic’ ‘Intimate, generous and deeply human’ ‘Suzy Crothers holds the room in her thrall with an open heart and searing honesty’

️The Student Review: 4 STARS ‘Crothers’ performance style is one of immense charm’, ‘very effective and very moving’

️Fringe Review: ‘Highly recommended show’ ‘An impressive first solo show that lingers long after the biscuits have gone’ ‘Pacy, emotionally rich, disarmingly funny’

️What the fringe?!: ‘Highly commended show’ ‘This beautifully woven tale has you rooting for Alice till the end’, ‘Hope is here’

‘An excitingly honest depiction of the power of human connection told with exquisite language, stunning song and daring vulnerability’ –  Haley McGee, Olivier Nominee 2022, Fringe First winner 2022.

‘warm intelligence and humour, and a steady supply of tea and biscuits’ – The Scotsman

‘An excitingly honest depiction of the power of human connection told with exquisite language, stunning song and daring vulnerability’ – Haley McGee, Olivier Nominee 2022, Fringe First winner 2022

Created with kind support from Arts Council England.

Thanks to: Lemn Sissay, Roisin Gallagher, Kate Baiden, Haley McGee, Georgia Hudson, Finbar Caules, Emily Carewe, Benn Keaveney, Tinderbox, Dr Emma Janes, Ellen Waghorn, Ruth Crothers, CCEN, all who contributed so generously to our crowdfunder.

Developed with Camden People’s Theatre, The Beaney Museum of Art and Knowledge, London Irish Centre, Crest Academy, Open School East, Arts Education Exchange, Dover Arts Development, Graeae, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, 1 Degree East.

TRIGGER WARNING:

This performance containsreference to the ‘Troubles’ (including archive news footage), BPD, alcohol misuse, conflict within home/society, descriptive language around a mental health crisis (incl reference to self harm/ hearing voices/ suicidal ideation), cancer/ bereavement.

Whilst these subjects are heavy, they are placed in the context of the lead character’s recovery journey and a feeling that a journey towards wellbeing is possible.

Age recommendation: 16yrs+

ACCESSIBILITY:There will be music playing as part of this event, as well as sound effects, to set the scene, but no sudden loud bangs. There will be no strobe or flashing lights. There may be haze used as part of this production. No other sensory aspects.

If you have any questions about accessibility or trigger warnings please do get in touch.

Produced by Suzy Crothers LTD

Supported by – Roisin Gallagher and Patrick Handley

Directed by Amie Burns Walker

Creative associate – Annie Sutton

Movement direction by Nancy Kettle

Lighting and video by Rachel Sampley

Illustrations by Ruth Crothers

Sound by Ed Heaton

Dramaturgy by Adam Foster, Caroline Horton

Community facilitation by Annie Sutton

Access support by Ruth Mariner and Alice Dunham

With thanks Patrick Handley

Sam Blythe: Method in My Madness (A One-Man Hamlet)

Posted on 20th February 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

Hailed for its intensity, clarity, and inventive storytelling, Sam Blythe’s compelling solo reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Using physical theatre, vocal precision, and a razor-sharp grasp of the text, Blythe conjures the entire world of Elsinore alone on stage—shifting seamlessly between prince, ghost, king, and court. This stripped-back Hamlet cuts to the emotional core of the play, exploring grief, power, and moral uncertainty with urgency and dark humour. Audiences and critics alike have praised the production for making Shakespeare immediate and accessible without sacrificing complexity. Whether you know the play inside out or are encountering it for the first time, Blythe’s performance offers fresh insight and sustained dramatic tension.

Fringe legend Guy Masterson presents Sam Blythe’s brilliant Hamlet… stripped to the nerve. One man. One role. No certainty. Clown and physical theatre collide with the Bard’s words in this brutal, intimate dive into Shakespeare’s most puzzling play. Directed by clown genius, Elf Lyons, (Horses; Raven), with beguiling virtuosity, Blythe leads us into Hamlet’s apparently impaired mind in the midst of his mania.

“Blythe’s performance as Hamlet is exceptional…” — All Edinburgh Theatre

“…raw, relevant and freshly made. In other words, a triumph.” – The List

“Possessed of both comic grace and dramatic power…” – Get Your Coats On

The Whistle II

Posted on 25th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

A subversive game played by three unruly players

The Whistle II invites the audience to participate by following a simple rule: When you hear the sound of a whistle, close your eyes. When you hear it again, open them.

This simple rule quickly becomes a playful experiment in perception. Three performers, each playing their own game, invite the audience to co-create the piece through rhythmic “edits” of seeing and not-seeing.

Between each blink of darkness, new worlds emerge: poetic, absurd, and hilariously unpredictable. A unique, multi-disciplinary performance that explores rhythm, rules, and power (of the imagination).

The Whistle II is a Squarehead Production directed and written by Darragh Mc Loughlin.
It was made in collaboration with, and is performed by: Elysia Mc Mullen, Donal Mc Connon and Nina Illouz.

Declan Mee worked as the primary dramaturge and outside eye.

Supported by The National Circus Festival of Ireland and The Arts Council of Ireland

Presented as part of Festival of Fools

The Turbulent Tale of Typhoid Mary, by Brenda Winter Palmer

Posted on 17th March 202631st March 2026 by site_admin

Written by Brenda Winter Palmer

This performed reading takes place in the magnificently transformed ‘A-Wing’ at the former Crumlin Road Gaol, now the home of the Belfast-born whisky.

In this historic site of incarceration, we tell the story of Mary Mallon, allegedly from Cookstown. In 1905 Mary was working as a high society cook in New York. What her employers did not know was that Cookie Mary was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid who had infected 57 people in high class kitchens from Oyster Bay to Fifth Avenue.

She was ordered to stop cooking. But this unruly, uncontrollable ‘microbe denier’ was not going down easy.

To fortify you before the performances McConnell’s offers you a ‘wee drap’ of their award-winning Irish Whisky.

Seón Simpson’s on a Tangent

Posted on 23rd January 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

Ever re-read your teenage diary? Posted song lyrics as a cry for help? Had a secret poetry blog? Seón Simpson did – and she’s turned it into stand-up gold. There’s only one problem. She’s run out of material. That’s what happens when you use up all your love poems and all that’s left are poems about self-harm and suicide.

“Being a funny c**t is a trauma response,” Seón Simpson sagely suggests in this crowd-pleasing hybrid show. We expected no less. Few theatre-makers are navigating the intersection of form, comic provocation and mental health with her audacity.

An award-winning writer and director from who with Gina Donnelly makes up the boundary-pushing creative duo SkelpieLimmer, Simpson has steadily built a reputation with Two Fingers Up, the winner of a Lustrum award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Simpson’s touching, hilarious, deconstructed suicide monologue mines the rich seam of her teenage poetry blog – from DeviantArt, of course – for stand-up gold. Sample teen-poem line: “Chestnuts, his eyes.”

As a former unrepentantly horny and devout Church of Ireland adolescent, she has endless sexual misadventures and darkroom fumbles to explore. Bible camp, much like band camp in the American Pie movies, is compared to a swingers’ meet.

A liaison with the minister’s son results in explicit action in the back of the family’s seven-seater. A favoured Christian nightclub in Coleraine forbids alcohol, but you can easily acquire cocaine in the lavatories.

Seón Simpson’s on a Tangent, at Dublin Fringe, is a touching, audacious navigation of the intersection of form, comic provocation and mental health- The Irish Times

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana

Posted on 6th February 20269th April 2026 by site_admin

Dublin, 1997. Two friends prepare to compete for the crown of Alternative Miss Ireland with their Princess Diana drag act, under the nose of their hardline nationalist families.

As they race through the city towards competition night, Diana’s death sparks the unravelling of their secret, their friendship and their plans to leave Ireland. A high-energy, fast-paced two-hander packed with comedy, courage and coming-of-age chaos.

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana comes to Belfast following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh and Dublin Fringe Festivals.

Named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s ‘10 Stand-Out Shows at the Edinburgh Fringe’, as well as Theatre Weekly’s ‘Best LGBTQ+ Show of Ed Fringe’ and winner of both the Bewleys Little Gem and Fishamble New Writing Awards, this limited run is not to be missed.

PRESS QUOTES

★★★★★ Richard Theatre Reviews
‘’Even with its rich Irish humour and very specific cultural setting, the show translates effortlessly to an Edinburgh Fringe audience. This is proof that good storytelling, sharp writing, and genuine heart can work anywhere”.

★★★★★ Theatre and Tonic
‘’Hannah and Conor are powerhouses throughout the whole show, their energy bouncing off each other, making the audience feel like we’ve known them for years”.

★★★★★ The Real Chrisparkle
“One of those rare crazy Fringe shows that simply works on every level”.

★★★★★ Ed Fringe Review
‘’This concept is already absorbingly original, but it is the actors’ energetic performances that bring the plot to life with melodrama and flamboyance’’.

★★★★★ Corr Blimey
‘’Murray and Power’s play really feels like a divine, captivating shrine to friendship. Giving audiences an hour of constant cackling, coming-of-age charm, and cheerful chaos, Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is the absolute standout of this year’s Fringe Festival”.

★★★★ The Skinny
‘’Uplifting and unapologetically life-affirming, Don’t Tell Dad About Diana radiates from start to finish. Just as Diana lives on in the hearts of the people, Power and Murray stake their rightful claim at the beating heart of this year’s Fringe”.

★★★★ Reviews Hub
‘’A wonderful 60-minutes in the theatre that suggests there is far more to come from both performers”.

★★★★ Binge Fringe
‘’A delightfully personal and lively portrait of queer youth, friendship, and emerging into the world believing that your idols are watching over you”.

★★★★ Binge Fringe
‘’Two exciting new artists with an embarrassment of talent you’re sure to be hearing more of’’.

Rolling Stones – 10 Stand Out Shows of Edinburgh Fringe
“The script is drum tight and deadly. That said, the real star is the chemistry between the two leads”.

Written and Performed by Hannah Power & Conor Murray
Produced by Rua Barron,
Directed by Emma Finegan.

Lighting Design by Ferdy Emmet,
Sound Design by Theo Foley,
Set and Prop Design by Gabe Gilmour,
Dramaturgy by Austin Hughes

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Category: CQAF2026 – Theatre