Out To Lunch 2026 Early-bird

Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes

Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes

The Black Box

Tuesday 13 January, 1.00pm

Doors 12:30 | Unreserved seating 

Tickets £12.00 including lunch 

Buy Tickets

Written by Neil Titley
Starring Will Govan | Directed by Rebecca O’Connor

Set in Paris in 1898, this acclaimed one-man play sees Will Govan embody a brilliant but broken Oscar Wilde, exiled and reflecting on a life lived in the glare of fame and scandal. Drawing on Wilde’s letters, essays, and irrepressible wit, Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes is a tragicomic monologue that moves between dazzling humour and poignant heartbreak.

Wilde, now alone and disgraced after imprisonment, revisits themes of love, beauty, art and injustice with unflinching honesty and defiant charm. Whether you’re a lifelong admirer or a newcomer to his world, this 60-minute performance offers a fresh and humanising portrait of one of literature’s most iconic figures.

Performed over 700 times across five continents, this revival breathes new life into Neil Titley’s celebrated script. It marks a return to the stage for Govan — artist, interviewer, and co-founder of The Moth — under the direction of novelist and theatre-maker Rebecca O’Connor.

Critical acclaim has followed the show across the globe:

“Charming and witty” – Irish Times 

“Funny and melancholic” – The Times 

“Fine and genuinely moving” – Festival Times, Edinburgh

Come see Wilde as you’ve never seen him: alone, reflective, and devastatingly funny.

Tickets also available from:
Visit Belfast | 028 90 246 609
9 Donegall Square North - Open 7 days a Week

Out To Lunch 2026 Early-bird

Hiraeth: Yearning for Home? With Michael Smiley and Miranda Sawyer

Hiraeth: Yearning for Home? With Michael Smiley and Miranda Sawyer

The Black Box

Sunday 11 January, 2.00pm

Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes

Work is the Curse of the Drinking Classes

The Black Box

Tuesday 13 January, 1.00pm

Arts Across Belfast Bus Tour

Arts Across Belfast Bus Tour

Leaves Black Box

Sunday 18 January, 10.25am - 2.00pm 

Rosie Wilby: The Breakup Monologues Live Podcast

Rosie Wilby: The Breakup Monologues Live Podcast

The Black Box

Sunday 18 January, 8.00pm

Don Letts DJ Set + Explosion Sound System Selectors

Superfly Funk and Soul & CQAF present

Don Letts DJ Set + Explosion Sound System Selectors

Ulster Sports Club 

Saturday 24 January, 10.30pm 

Supported By

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The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and Out To Lunch are annual festivals of music, comedy, theatre, art and literature which take place in January and May in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival / Out To Lunch Arts Festival
Unit 8
Northern Whig House
Bridge Street
Belfast
BT1 1LU