The untold story of Big Mama Thornton, the groundbreaking blueswoman whose voice launched legends, defied conventions, and carved her place in music history on her own uncompromising terms.

Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a towering force in American music for over forty years. Born in rural Alabama, she defied gender norms with her imposing stature, masculine dress, and commanding stage presence.

“Hound Dog,” written specifically for her, became a #1 R&B hit in 1952, yet she struggled for fair recognition in the years that followed. Rediscovered during the 1960s blues revival, she electrified audiences in the U.S. and Europe, and her song “Ball & Chain” helped launch Janis Joplin’s career.

Living hard and touring relentlessly, Thornton died at 57, leaving behind an indelible musical legacy.

Now Press Play 2026 is  supported by Film Hub NI, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding from the National Lottery

Robert Clem| US| 2025| 88 min

The Fall meets post-punk dance meets cinema verité – with a smattering of Leigh Bowery! 40 years on, Hail The New Puritan still exhilarates and dazzles.

It’s a docu-fantasy which stars dance superstar Michael Clarke – in an incredible and muscular series of performances. The film is a vivid invocation of the decadence and excess of the 1980s post-punk London subculture. It’s also a time capsule of a lost time and place. Filmmaker Charles Atlas seamlessly integrates Clarkes extraordinary presence into the narrative of the film, taking in music, clubs and fashion of the era.

From the surreal opening dream sequence to the final solo dance – Hail The New Puritan is mesmerising – all aided and abetted by THAT soundtrack. “The music of the Fall gives me a broader canvas to make whatever I want to” said Clarke at the time. He wasn’t wrong…

Now Press Play 2026 is  supported byFilm Hub NI, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding from the National Lottery

Director/Editor: Charles Atlas. Choreography: Michael Clark. Dancers: Gaby Agis, Leslie Bryant (Les Child), Michael Clark, Matthew Hawkins, Julie Hood, Ellen van Schuylenburch. With: Leigh Bowery, Nicola Bowery, Michael Clark, Anthony Doughty, Mark E. Smith, Brix Smith, Sue Tilley. Music: Glenn Branca, The Fall, Bruce Gilbert, Jeffrey Hinton. Camera: John Simmons. Producer: Jolyon Wimhurst. Special Thanks: Dave Baby, Chisenhale Dance Space, The Clarendon, R.K. Studios, Henry Stein.

1985-86, 84:47 min, colour, sound, 16 mm film on video

The Shape of a Square celebrates Irish / US connections, marking the 90th Birthday of one of the world’s most significant composers, Philip Glass.

Within this atmospheric programme we explore his solo and chamber works, and his influence on younger generations, such as Irish composer Dave Flynn celebrating his 50th year.

Acclaimed by the New York Times for the “power and grittiness” of his music, Dave Flynn draws on minimalism, jazz, Irish traditional music and a kaleidoscopic range of other influences, and has been critically praised in the Boston Globe, Washington Post and The Times (UK).

This 2025/26 season has been extremely busy for Hard Rain, including events in London’s Southbank Centre, Warsaw Autumn Festival, a Chilean concert tour as well as multiple events closer to home including New Music Dublin, Belfast International Arts Festival, Sonorities Festival, Young at Art and Sound of Belfast.