BELFAST 1919

Part Two - EPIC BORDERS TRILOGY

PREMIERE 11 October 2019 - Belfast (Northern Ireland)

BRIAN FRIEL THEATRE

DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY

Carlos García Estévez & Paige Allerton

The Epic Borders Trilogy is a series of productions taking place in Mexico, Northern Ireland and Canada. The Trilogy deals with themes and stories of people from areas with a long history of being torn politically and geographically by borders. The Epic Borders Trilogy aims to tell every-day personal stories from these different locations, woven together to expose the epic proportions of our collective story.

“It’s a blast. A neat story, well told. Short and to the point. Manipulating space. At least as physical as it is verbal. With concepts that would never have been thought off if a playwright had submitted a script and told the director to stick to it.”

- Alan Megan @ALANINBELFAST

Contributing Artists

Shaun Blaney, Louise Conaghan, Nathan Corrigan, Rob Crawford, Maggie Cronin, Lisa Duffy, Tara Greene, Ciarán Haggerty, Debra Hill, Neil Keery, Daniel Kelly, Julie Lamberton, Dan Leith, Rhodri Lewis, Louise Mathews, Muire McCallion, Aimee McGoldrick, Sarah Reid, Keith Singleton, Fintan Woods, Patrick J O'Reilly, Stuart Robinson and Rebecca Hamilton.

Photography Kiko Dapena Martín

Direction and Dramaturgy
Carlos García Estévez and Paige Allerton

Light Design Paulo Serantes

Sound Design Stuart Robinson

Costume Design Rebecca Hamilton

Stage Manager Rory Casey

Produced by Tinderbox Theatre Company, Jen Shepherd and Patrick J O'Reilly, Engine Program supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

BELFAST 1919 - SYNOPSIS

From reviewers Alan Megan & Conor O’Neill

The story is about the death of a man, Peter Cashey, and the gathering of his friends and family, against the backdrop of what happens to the border on Brexit Day. The border is physical and yet abstract, a thick white elastic tape that stretches diagonally across the otherwise setless stage. It can be pulled and bent into shapes, creating rooms, walls, thoughts and coastlines. Around it and up against it, groups of performers travel towards an office in Belfast where all will be revealed …

An Argentinian carries a brick from Berlin above his head like a trophy from another border. Another group navigate passport patrol at the border in the wellyboots. Breeda Riley reports live – and loud – from the Drogheda border for television news, while a detective in a belted overcoat stomps around (with comical live musical sound effects) piecing together clues about the deceased man’s life and times before it all goes slightly Cambridge Analytica and a bit Die Hard.

An agitated lawyer on the phone sniffling and with nervous tics seemingly having to form an unorderly queue in order to enjoy their brief spasm on his contorting face. Victor McGrath is to preside over the will of Peter Cashey; son John is given exact instructions and the will cannot be realised until certain individuals are all in the office of 134 Mansion Street, the 20th floor to be precise.

John’s half-sister is showing friends around her new Dublin apartment when the call comes in. She and the two, one unwillingly, depart for Belfast. John is at Mansion Street, uber polite elevator voice Richard welcomes and warns, everything is high-wire and fingernails bitten to the quick, even the soothing voice of our elevator companion holds menace.

In groups and individually, others arrive, most of foreign nationality, some of an ever-changing array of hard-to-grasp nationalities: the border stretches at angles, diagonals and around wicked corners. More news flashes come in, four hour tailbacks are appearing at the North/South border.

Extinction Rebellion is using this momentous date to further its agenda.

“It starts with games, from games you make worlds, and then layer those worlds with architecture and movement in space. It's a privilege to be in this room. Mind-blowing.”

- Contributing Artist of BELFAST 1919

“As they walked in on the 30th [of September 2019, day one of rehearsals], none were aware of what would be performed, that potential was within them both individually and collectively. A basis of exploration, risk, enlightenment, collaboration and craft were their only prompts.”