Belfast's Lyric Theatre celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026, and artistic director Jimmy Fay sees the milestone as an opportunity to honor the past while showcasing current talent. 'The Lyric gives voice to everyone in Northern Ireland,' Fay says. 'It's a beacon.'
Reviving a Classic
One of the key productions in the anniversary programme is Christina Reid's Tea in a China Cup, originally staged in 1983. The new production, running in May, features Marie Jones and is directed by Dan Gordon, who performed in the original. The play traces the lives of Protestant working-class women in Belfast from World War II to the Troubles, blending humor and poignancy.
'Reid's is an important political voice from the 1980s, articulating the idea that working-class people across the sectarian divide had more in common than often assumed,' Fay explains. This aligns with the socialist outlook of founder Mary O'Malley, who moved from Dublin to Belfast in 1947 and founded the Lyric Players Theatre in 1951.
Mary O'Malley's Legacy
O'Malley was a formidable force, surrounding herself with pioneering colleagues to bring her vision to life. This included not only the theatre but also an art gallery, music academy, and drama school. An anniversary exhibition, A House of Play, curated by Kim Mawhinney, features works by artists associated with the New Gallery, which O'Malley established in 1963, including Jack B Yeats, Louis Le Brocquy, and Basil Blackshaw, alongside new commissions.
An upstairs gallery is dedicated to Threshold, the influential literary journal O'Malley founded in 1957. Initially edited by O'Malley, it later had guest editors like Seamus Heaney, John Montague, and Seamus Deane. Fay is finalizing an anniversary issue to be published in August, aiming to revive it as an annual journal of arts criticism and essays.
European Influences and Growth
The New Gallery's first curator, Alice Berger Hammerschlag, an Austrian artist, created many set designs, while Czech choreographer Helen Lewis brought European influence to early productions. These were initially staged in O'Malley's home, then a 50-seat studio above stables, producing over 100 plays on a 10-foot-wide stage.
In 1968, the company moved to a 300-seat theatre on Ridgeway Street, remaining open during the Troubles often with tiny audiences. After an £18 million fundraising campaign supported by patron Liam Neeson, the Lyric's new home, designed by O'Donnell + Tuomey, opened in 2011. The award-winning building overlooks the River Lagan with light-filled public spaces incorporating brick, timber, and stone.
Jimmy Fay's Leadership
Fay, who moved from Dublin 12 years ago, continues to combine the roles of CEO, executive producer, and artistic director. 'I'm not in favour of keeping those aspects separate,' he says. 'I continue to direct shows myself, as you need to have that creative heartbeat.' He credits the team around him for making this possible.
Among recent achievements, Fay highlights Agreement, Owen McCafferty's dramatisation of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations. 'I would love that to have a further life, to go to the Edinburgh fringe and London,' he says, noting it as a study of misogyny in politics, particularly how Mo Mowlam was edged out.
Upcoming Productions
Later in the year, plans include a new production of Brian Friel's Faith Healer starring Conleth Hill, directed by Emma Jordan, and a version of Aristophanes' The Frogs by Paul Muldoon with music by Stew, opening first at New York's Public Theatre. Future projects include a new play by Clare Dwyer Hogg, a version of Crime and Punishment by McCafferty, and an adaptation of the Irish epic The Táin by Oisín Kearney.
As Fay speaks, the building buzzes with activity: Paines Plough on stage, a schools' workshop upstairs, and Conor Mitchell's Belfast Ensemble rehearsing. 'Supporting and commissioning adventurous artists like Conor Mitchell, with Abomination: A DUP Opera and Propaganda, is central to what we do,' Fay says. 'And in our drama studio, we're bringing young actors through, who then cross over into television and film. There's so much talent, energy, and vitality in Northern Ireland at the moment, despite the difficult funding environment.'
Tea in a China Cup runs at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, from 2 to 30 May.
