The Lyric Theatre - The Ireland Funds

Over the yearsthe Lyric Theatre has been a place where artists
and writers could come together, find a voice and challenge issues such as
sectarianism and stereotypes. As Dan Gordon, actor, director and longtime
supporter and trustee of the Lyric says, “Through plays, the Lyric engenders a
forum about the issues we need to look at together as a community. We expose,
we irritate and sometimes we illuminate.” Connect magazine sat down on
stage with Dan as he prepared for a performance of ‘The Miser’ by Molière, to
learn about the unique role the theatre plays in Northern Ireland.
Dan Gordon, Actor / Director / Lyric Theatre Trustee
Changing Mindsets
I grew up in East Belfast in a working class family and my
father was a worker in the shipyards. In 1977, I saw my
first play here at the Lyric when I was 17 years old. It was
the first time I had ever seen live theatre and I thought it
was the most amazing thing.
Well, I’ve been involved ever since. I stayed on
because I wanted to be involved in plays about this place,
about the people here. When you do a play here for locals,
there is no hiding place on tough issues and conversations
about the very place they live. The Lyric lets you be part of
big ideas. Now, the theatre is passing that on to this next
generation and I’ve seen it make a difference with my own
eyes. What we are doing with schools and subsequently
with the parents in the community is changing things.
And if we can change the mindset of the young people, we
can change everything.
Laying Foundations
I’ve written a series of six plays about heritage,
community and history that acknowledge all the cultures
here in Belfast. What we are doing is laying a foundation.
We’re keen to write pieces that don’t have just one starring
role where only one child can be the Annie or the Oliver.
We are crafting plays that have 120 children in them. Even
the shyest child can have a line and every child is involved.
‘Kissing the Shuttle’ highlighted the linen industry here
in Belfast. What was magnificent was that in the audience
we had 80 year olds that had worked in the mills, singing
the songs along with the children. It was truly a
community experience. The Lyric allowed us to do this in
12 schools all across Northern Ireland. We took it to
Enniskillen, we were in Co. Down, and we were in
Donegal. We got out of Belfast and kept going.
This year, we did a play in Wheatfield Primary
School. (Editor’s note: in 2001 this section of North Belfast
saw riots and violence between the Catholic and Protestant
communities over a 300 yard stretch of road that separates
them. Things have improved but tensions still run high in the
area.) The Holy Cross kids on the other side came over to
see the play in the Wheatfield Primary School. That invitation
increased interaction between both sides of the
community. First and foremost we are a theatre, but it’s
clear that building audiences builds other things in a
community. The feedback we’ve received from the
schools is tremendous. We’re not out there trying to make
actors; we’re trying to make well-rounded people.
Fighting With Words
The Lyric also takes theatre into prisons, often
encountering those who are in for life. We put on a
production of ‘A Night in November’ which is based on a
true story of the Greysteel killings. (Editor’s note: In 1993,
members of a loyalist paramilitary group opened fire in a bar
in Greysteel, Northern Ireland. It was assumed those who were
there were Catholic since they were watching soccer on television.
Eight civilians were killed and thirteen were wounded.)
Two of the guys who were responsible for that
shooting were in the audience. Who’s to say how it
affected them, but they were there. As we performed I
thought, ‘I don’t have a gun to fight these guys, but I can
fight with them with words.’ People will sometimes say ‘oh
it’s only a play’ but no, I say theatre has the potential to be
much more powerful than that.
The new building is going to be magnificent, but the
sustainability afterwards will be the big need and the
investment must continue. After the launch, what will be
the second show? And the one after that? This is where we
have the opportunity to do even more for this community.
connect 2010 |
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