What began as a tiny space above the founder\u2019s stables became the beating heart of the city\u2019s performing arts. Its leader Jimmy Fay reflects on recent hits and reveals what audiences can expect from the theatre\u2019s anniversary year<\/p>\n
\u2018The Lyric gives voice to everyone in Northern Ireland,\u201d says the theatre\u2019s boss, Jimmy Fay. \u201cIt\u2019s a beacon.\u201d Fay views the 2026 programme, celebrating 75 years of the Lyric, as an opportunity to showcase current creative talent, as well as honouring the theatre\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
One of the plays from the repertoire that Fay was keen to revive is Christina Reid<\/a>\u2019s Tea in a China Cup, from 1983. With a cast including Marie Jones, the new production \u2013 which runs in May<\/a> \u2013 is directed by Dan Gordon, who performed in the original. Reid\u2019s play traces the daily lives of Protestant working-class women in Belfast across three decades, from the second world war to the Troubles, with humour and poignancy.<\/p>\n
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