CAST

Friel’s work is studied at both GCSE and A level (UK), and the Leaving Certificate (Ireland), as well as at university level, in Ireland, the UK and internationally. His work achieved global acclaim over four decades. He is considered to be one of the greatest Englishlanguage dramatists of his generation, referred to as the ‘Irish Chekhov’ and the ‘universally accented voice of Ireland’. Friel’s creative output has enjoyed widespread popularity and global reach; his plays have been translated into many languages and are performed in theatres across the world. Friel died on 2 October 2015 at home in Greencastle, County Donegal. On the evening of Tuesday 8 December 2015 the marquees of Broadway theatres in New York dimmed their lights for one minute, a tradition reserved only for those who are held in the highest regard by the theatre community.

Lovers had its world premiere of at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, 18 July to 30 Sep 1967, directed by Hilton Edwards, starring Niall Toibin, Eamon Morrissey, Fionnuala Flanagan, Ruth Durley, Anna Manahan and Cathleen Delany. Lovers premiered in America in the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York as part of Lincoln Centre Festival on 25 July to 14 September 1968, before transferring to the Music Box, New York on 17 September to 2 November. The American premiere was directed by Hilton Edwards, starring Art Carney/Peter Lind Hayes, Fionnuala Flanagan, Eamon Morrissey, Anna Manahan, Beulah Garrick and Grania O’Malley. The production then went on a nationwide tour. Lovers was nominated for Best Dramatic Play in the 1968 Tony Awards. Lovers has been produced in theatres around the world and was revived for a New York production in 2012 by The Actors Company Theatre at Theatre Row’s Beckett Theatre, directed by Drew Barr, starring Kati Brazda, Cameron Scoggins, Cynthia Darlow, Justine Salata, Nora Chester and James Riordan. Reviewing the play for The Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout stated: ‘If life were fair, Brian Friel, the foremost living playwright in the Englishspeaking world, would have won a Nobel Prize long ago. All you see in Lovers are Mr. Friel’s small-town characters, realized so fully (by Mr. Riordan and Ms. Salata in particular) that they give the impression of having been played by ordinary people’.

Paul Murphy Lecturer School of Arts, English & Languages and Drama Queen’s University Belfast

Helena, born in Cullybackey and living in Killinchy, originally trained as a nurse in the RVH. She has been acting professionally for nearly 30 years. She has worked in the original Lyric Theatre many times, but is excited for her first performance in the new building.

Helena trained at The Gaiety in Dublin and The Focus Theatre Dublin. Some of her favourite roles are: Aunt Pasha in Black Milk, Auntie Ah in Woman and Scarecrow (Prime Cut Theatre Co.); Aunt Lizzie in Family Plot (Tinderbox Theatre Co.); Mary in The Country Boy, Marya in Riders to the Sea, Maggie in The Haunting of Helena Blunden, Cissy in Lovers (Big Telly Theatre Co.); Kate in All My Sons (Arts Theatre); Gertrude in Hamlet, Mary in The Tinkers Wedding (Yew Theatre Co.); Mother Superior in Children of Eve, Eve in Strategy for Butterflies, Faye in Chapter Two (Andrews Lane Theatre Dublin).

Television credits include: Mo (Channel 4); Millie in Between (CBBC); Glenroe and Fair City (RTE). Feature films include: I Am Belfast by Mark Cousins, Hunger by Steve McQueen, Don't Leave Home by Michael Tully, The Devils Doorway by Aislinn Clarke and numerous short films including Oscar winning The Shore, Bafta winning United and multi award winning The Immaculate Misconception.

Charlie Bonner Man / Andy

Charlie last appeared at the Lyric Theatre in Sinners. His previous appearances at the Lyric included Dancing At Lughnasa and Brian Friel's Volunteers in 1994.

Other theatre credits include Prime Cut’s production of Every Day I

Wake Up Hopeful by John Patrick Higgins for Edgefest; Philadelphia Here I Come; Good Evening Mr Collins; Monkey; Melonfarmer; Macbeth, Observatory; Living Quarters; The Shaughraun;

Toupees & Snare Drums and Portia Coughlan at the Abbey Theatre and Peacock Theatre, Dublin. He has worked with theatre companies throughout Ireland including the Gate, Bedrock, Livin Dred, Pan Pan, Red Kettle, Corcadorca, Field Day and Second Age amongst others.

Film and TV includes Zoo, Maze, The Devil's Doorway, Childer, Rebellion, Red Rock, Omagh, The Tudors The Race, Starfish, Proof, Fair City and The Crush

Ruby Campbell Mag

Ruby trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Theatre includes: Splish Splash (Oily Cart); u/s Shena Carney in The Ferryman (Royal Court/Sonia Friedman Productions); Margaret Barry in She Moved Through The Fair (Tron Theatre/Celtic Connections Festival); Clare in Girls and Dolls (Pintsized Productions); Babble in Off Broadway Run (Replay Theatre Company); Beth in Lifeboat (Replay Theatre Company) and Lady Windermere in Lady Windermere's Fan (Bruiser Theatre Company).

Theatre whilst training includes: Betsy in Sweet Charity; Gabriella Pecs in Pentecost; Macduff/Witch in Macbeth; Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music; Mrs Malaprop in The Rivals; Blanche du Bois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Dromio of Syrcause in The Comedy of Errors

Film includes: Emma in The Dissenter (Dumbworld Productions).