OUR NEW GIRL
8 APR - 4 MAY 2025
Written by
Nancy Harris
Directed by Rhiann Jeffrey
CRAFTING THE TENSION: WRITING OUR NEW GIRL
Our New Girl was written out of a desire to explore a genre I had rarely seen in the theatre - the horror/thriller genre - especially not from a female perspective.
At the time I wrote the play there was covert criticism being levelled at female playwrights, that their work wasn’t ‘political’ enough to garner productions on global and national stages, that the ‘problem’ of women’s writing was that it was too personal, too domestically focused and too relationship driven to be worthy of serious theatrical consideration.
Apart from the fact that this would make most of Ibsen’s plays redundant, there was no ‘problem’ with women’s writing at all. Being from a country where (at the time) gay marriage was still illegal
and women were still dying from being denied abortions, not to mention the global gender pay gap, or the fact that women’s careers, and bodies, routinely suffer more from having children than men’s, I felt that the real ‘problem’ lay with those that believed that the domestic and the personal weren’t political territory.
It was from this starting point that I wrote Our New Girl. From a desire to tell a fresh, propulsive story, that was inherently theatrical but was also political in the sense in that it went into domestically inflammatory, even taboo areas. The greatest taboo I could think of, being - what happens if you regret having your child?
Like all plays Our New Girl wrestles with a lot of different things: marriage, privilege, parenthood, responsibility and sacrifice. The horror/thriller genre is often dismissed as being frivolous, but it is a genre that has been asking the same important question since Sophocles’ Oedipus: what if we don’t know ourselves at all? And what if we only find out…when it’s too late?
Nancy Harris WRITER
DIRECTING THE UNRAVELLING
It’s not often you come across a play like Our New Girl or a writer like Nancy Harris or a cast like we have on this show. I am very grateful to Jimmy Fay and Morag Keating at the Lyric, for the opportunity to direct this beautiful, harrowing piece as my mainstage début.
Theatre, at its best, allows us to express more fully what it is to be human. It shows us who we were, who we are and who we can be. Nancy isn’t afraid to create imperfect characters who can be as ugly and brutal, and sensitive and flawed as the people around us. One of my favourite things about this script is that as readers and audiences, we are constantly shifting our sympathies (or lack of) from character to character, nothing is ever black and white - we find ourselves siding with characters even though we know that their actions are wrong.
It’s a wholly nuanced, tender, gut wrenching world Nancy has created. These ingredients made for a very exiting rehearsal process. I’m writing this just as we are about
to go into tech week, where we piece all of the elements together; set, lighting, sound, costume, and usually at this stage, I know exactly what the show we’re creating is, where it is going, what it feels like - but for a piece like Our New Girl, I don’t think the audience will ever see exactly the same show twice. There are so many different choices to make, which character do we empathise with/ villainise in which beat of which scene? The emotional trajectories of each character can completely alter with a tonal change on one line. One of the cast members likened the play to a mixing desk, and I think this is the perfect metaphor for it.
It has been an absolute pleasure, and career highlight, working with Lisa Dwyer Hogg, Mark Huberman and Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle. Three phenomenal actors who every day filled the room with wit, emotion, intelligence, and grace. It has been a joy watching them find their characters. The dedication they each have given, the way they have embraced every moment of rehearsals, their offerings, collaboration, and their total immersion in their roles - have been wholly inspiring. Emotionally, it is a beast of a play, and I couldn’t have asked for more talented, compassionate (and hilarious) people to share the experience with.
I’d also like to acknowledge the fantastic young actors Canice Doran and Milo Payne, who have created two completely different and equally sensational versions of their character. (So you may have to come see the show twice!) Their ability to give so much to the rehearsal room, this show, and the team is greatly appreciated. They are endearingly funny and eager to learn, so capably chaperoned by the lovely Janet, both have enhanced all our experiences greatly.
A massive thank you to everyone at the Lyric and every single person who has contributed to this show, there are too many amazing folk to name, but a big shout out to our creative team; Designer Maree Kearns who has created such a delicious set and somewhere we all want to live in, Sarah Jane Shiels for her stunning lighting design, Garth McConaghie for his delicately evocative sound design, and Paula O’Reilly for her warmth and kindness as Intimacy Co-ordinatior.
A special shout out to our Assistant Director Debra Hill. I don’t know how I will ever do another show without her again. As a cast member said… she’s the kind of person you would always want on your team, and I couldn’t agree more. She has worked phenomenally with Milo and Canice, she knows the show backwards and she senses a potential issue and solves it before I can blink.
And last but certainly not least, thank YOU for being here, for turning up and supporting the arts here in Belfast. I really do hope you enjoy the show, and I promise that no children or animals were hurt in the making of this show!
Rhiann Jeffrey DIRECTOR
LAYERS OF DECEPTION: SET AND COSTUME IN OUR NEW GIRL
The complex nature of the characters in Our New Girl along with too many hours spent watching Grand Designs were the inspiration for the design. Aspiring to make a place that would reflect the world back to the audience and hold the story of the play. There are so many layers and dark corners in Nancy’s play that an angular space full of hard edges and materials presented itself to us early in the process.
Hours of research into the architecture of Edwardian houses in London revealed endless minimalist, stylish interiors—spaces many of us aspire to live in, yet which lack warmth or comfort. The blending of the original house with a modern extension became central to our thinking about how the cast would move through the space. We aimed to maintain a connection to the rest of their home and lives beyond “these four walls.” It was important
to us that Hazel’s disconnect from the outside world be palpable, even within a highly curated, tightly controlled space. The ubiquitous glass ceiling speaks for itself. Additionally, we wanted to create an interesting set for our actors to inhabit with lots of business to do and places to land. Creating more engaging entrances and exits to and from the space, giving characters places to observe and listen from, all help with creating what I hope is an engaging world for the play.
The set and costume departments at the Lyric have been outstanding in their attention to detail in bringing this show to life, going as far as to create the original artwork on the wall of the house which for me says so much about Hazel’s story.
Maree Kearns
THE COMPANY
Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle
Lisa Dwyer Hogg
Mark Huberman
Canice Doran
Milo Payne
Nancy Harris
Rhiann
Maree Kearns
Sarah Jane Shiels
Garth McConaghie
Paula O’Reilly
Debra Hill
Intimacy Co-ordinatior Assistant
Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle
Annie
Jeanne grew up in Ireland.
Film and Television Credits include: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Channel 4); Prelude to an Abduction (dir. David Turpin); Sister of the Dogs (dir. Helio Leon); Clean Sweep (RTÉ/AMC); Apocalypse Clown (dir. George Kane); Postcards from Heaney Country (dir. Luke Daly & Nathan Fagan); North Sea Connection (RTÉ/ZDF); Holy Island (dir. Robert Manson); Stay Alive (dir. Juliet Riddell); Dungeons & Dragons (Paramount, dir. John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein).
Theatre Credits include: Breaking (Fishamble, dir. Jim Culleton); Metamorphoses (dir. Jimmy Justice); An Octoroon (Abbey Theatre, dir. Anthony Simpson-Pike); The Crows Way (Moonfish Theatre – Baboró International Arts Festival/ The Abbey Theatre, Peacock).
Awards and Additional Information: Winner – Best Performer, Dublin Fringe Festival 2023 (The Crows Way). Jeanne also starred in the music video for Pillow Queens’ Be By Your Side, directed by Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother).
Lisa Dwyer Hogg
Hazel
Lisa was born and raised in County Antrim.
Lisa will next be seen in Trespasses a new four-part series for Channel 4 based on Louise Kennedy’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name.
On stage Lisa played the leading role in the first UK touring production of People, Places & Things for HEADLONG and was nominated for a Manchester Theatre Award for best actress in a leading role.
Lisa has appeared in leading roles in productions for the National Theatre, Abbey Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland amongst others.
Theatre credits includes: Twelfth Night (Edinburgh Lyceum and Bristol Old Vic); Crocodile Fever (Traverse Theatre and Lyric Belfast); St Joan (Lyric Belfast); Signatories (Verdant Theatre, Kilmainham Gaol & Irish Tour); After Miss Julie, Blackbird, Scarborough (Prime Cut Theatre Company); Liola (National Theatre, London); Heartbreak House, Tales of Ballycumber (Abbey Theatre, Dublin); The Importance of Being Earnest, The Mariner (Gate Theatre, Dublin); Dunsinane (National Theatre of Scotland / Swan Theatre Stratford and Royal Shakespeare Company / Hampstead Theatre); Dallas Sweetman (Paines Plough); Begin Again (Old Vic / 24 Hour Plays); Much Ado About Nothing (Stafford); Loyal Women (Royal Court Theatre); Pete and Me (New End, Hampstead); Many Loves (Sandis / Lillian Bayliss).
Film & Television credits include: The Wise Guy (Out of Orbit); Black Shore (RTÉ); Dance First (Studio Canal/ Sky Cinema); Black Cake (Hulu); The House Across The Street (Channel 5); Acceptable Risk (RTÉ); The Irregulars (Netflix); The Fall (BBC); Women On The Verge (UKTV & RTE); Silent Witness (BBC); Genius Picasso (20th Century Fox); Holby City (BBC); Across the Universe (Revolution); Almost Adult (Parallax Films); A Year of Greater Love, Waking The Dead, Best: His Mother’s Son, Casualty (BBC); The Royal (Yorkshire TV); Trial and Retribution, Commander (La Plante Productions); The Bill, Fallen (Thames TV); Wire in the Blood III (Coastal Productions); Brookside (Mersey Television).
Mark Huberman
Richard
Mark was born and raised in Dublin.
Theatre Credits include: A Map of Argentina (Galway Arts Festival 2024, dir. Andrew Flynn) – Sam; Hamlet (St. Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn, dir. Yaël Farber) –Horatio (opposite Ruth Negga); A Streetcar Named Desire (Lyric Theatre Belfast, dir. Emma Jordan) – Stanley Kowalski; The Great Gatsby (The Gate, dir. Alexander Wright) – Tom Buchanan (Irish Theatre Award Nomination); Shelter (Druid Theatre Co., Galway International Arts Festival 2018, dir. Oonagh Murphy) – Tomas (Irish Times Theatre Award Nomination – Best Supporting Actor); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (dir. David Grindley)
Film and Television Credits include: Outlander (Season 8, Starz, dir. Emer Conroy) – Francis Marion; Fran the Man (Feature, dir. Stephen Bradley) – Richie Dempsey (alongside Ardal O’Hanlon); The Woman in the Wall (BBC/Showtime, dir. Harry Wootliff) – Michael (opposite Ruth Wilson); Nightman (Feature, dir. Mélanie Delloye) – Male Lead; Redemption (ITV/ RTÉ, dir. John Hayes) – Diarmuid O’Kelly (alongside Paula Malcomson); Vikings: Valhalla (MGM) – Season 2; Finding Joy (RTÉ) – Greg; Trial of the Century (TV Drama) – George Gavan Duffy (alongside Tom Vaughan-Lawlor); Long Shot (dir. Andrew Jordan) – Larry (opposite Seána Kerslake); Vikings (History Channel); Band of Brothers (HBO, dir. Tom Hanks) – Lester Hashey; Moone Boy (Sky, Chris O’Dowd); When Harvey Met Bob (BBC, dir. Nick Renton)
Mark has been recognized with multiple award nominations, including two Irish Theatre Award nominations for The Great Gatsby and Shelter
Canice Doran
Daniel
Canice Doran is fun loving and imaginative 10 year old who lives in Newtownabbey, County Antrim. From a young age of 5, Canice discovered his love for drama, diving into performances and embracing the stage with confidence. Canice has relished competing in various speech and drama festivals over the years and has successfully accomplished graded exams in speech and drama. Whether it’s acting out his favourite characters or coming up with creative scenarios, Canice’s enthusiasm for learning and developing his acting skills continues to grow.
When he’s not performing, Canice is either cheering for his beloved Manchester United or playing football with his friends. Canice enjoys unwinding with his favourite video games, mastering new challenges and strategies especially in the virtual world!
This will be Canice’s first professional role and he is really excited to be taking part in this Lyric Theatre production!
Milo Payne
Daniel
Milo has been attending the Lyric Theatre School for 3 years. He is very creative and enjoys drawing, playing piano, acting and writing. He also loves to read books (and comics) and has a great sense of humour. When he grows up, Milo hopes to run a successful comic and/or become an actor.
CAST
CREATIVES
Writer
Nancy Harris
Nancy Harris is an award-winning writer from Dublin, whose work has been produced in Ireland, the UK, Germany, the US and New Zealand.
Her plays include: Somewhere Out There You (Abbey); Two Ladies (Bridge); The Beacon (Druid, Gate); Our New Girl (Bush, Atlantic) and No Romance (Abbey).
For the Royal Shakespeare Company, she wrote the book and co-wrote the lyrics (with composer Marc Teitler) for the musical based on Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant She adapted The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy (Gate, La Mama) and wrote the book for the musical (co- created with Marc Teitler) Baddies the Musical. She has also written a version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes for children: The Man With The Disturbingly Smelly Foot (Unicorn). Her new version of Hans Christian Andersen’s dark fairy-tale The Red Shoes had its UK premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Christmas 2024.
Awards and Screenwriting
Nancy is a past recipient of The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and the Stewart Parker Award and has been a finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
For television she is the creator and writer of the 8x 30 minute comedy/drama series The Dry (directed by Paddy Breathnach). She has been BAFTA nominated twice, most recently in 2023 in the Writer Comedy category for The Dry.
Director
Rhiann Jeffrey
Rhiann is a Freelance Stage and Screen director.
Rhiann is currently directing Our New Girl by Nancy Harris, produced by the Lyric Theatre. She is also in pre-production for Belfast Girls by Jaki McCarrick, produced by An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk, and for Teeth an NI Screen funded short by Ciara Quinn, produced by Calling Productions.
Recent directing credits include; This Sh*t Happens All The Time by Amanda Verlaque, produced by The Grand Opera House, No Citation by Kyron Bourke, produced by Teatro Nua, Twelfth Night for The Lir Academy, the Irish Tour of Iron Annie by Luke Cassidy, This Sh*t Happens All The Time by Amanda Verlaque, produced by the Lyric Theatre, Ensemble: Symbols for Prime Cut Productions, Distortion by Amanda Verlaque for the Mac Theatre, Blowing Minds by Rosemary Jenkinson as part of SIX by Brassneck, a short film by Jan Carson The Pause Between Now and Next for the Irish Arts Centre, New York, in association with the Lyric Theatre, On the Street Where We Live an 8-part audio play produced by
The Mac, Belfast 2050: Under the Albert Clock produced by the Lyric Theatre in association with Origin Theatre Company (New York Times Critics Pick), Life From Time, a short film by Caoileann CurryThomspon, No Explanation a short film by Kyron Bourke, VERGE new play readings for Prime Cut Productions, Glory: Desire for NI Opera Studio, The Right Twig for Fighting Words, The Tempest for Rose Bruford College and Everyday I Wake Up Hopeful, by John Patrick Higgins for Prime Cut Productions. Rhiann also recently worked as a Shadow Director and Second Unit Director for BBC’s Hope Street S3, CBBC’s A Kind of Spark S2 and ITV’s Showtrial S2.
Set & Costume Designer
Maree Kearns
Maree’s career in set and costume design has led to her being a regular creative collaborator with many of Ireland’s leading companies and directors in theatre, dance, opera, and musicals. She has created worlds for performance on stages big and small across Ireland and internationally, in sitespecific locations, immersive experiences and outdoor productions. This is Maree’s first time working with the team at The Lyric.
Design work counts set and costume designs for The Abbey & Peacock Theatres, Anu Productions, The Ark, CoisCeim Dance Theatre Company, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Everyman Theatre, Fishamble Theatre Company, Cork Opera House, An Grianann Theatre, The Corn Exchange, Landmark Productions, and many more.
Maree has also worked extensively in television and film and is the course director for the Masters of Fine Art in Stage Design at the Lir Academy, Trinity College in Dublin. She is the recipient of the Tanya Moiseiwitsch design award at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in 2024, and a winner of the Irish Times theatre award for set design.
Lighting Designer
Sarah Jane Shiels
SJ began designing lighting in Dublin Youth Theatre, completing M.Sc in Interactive Digital Media 2021 and a BA in Drama and Theatre Studies 2006 (Trinity), and the Rough Magic Seeds3 programme 2006 –2008. She is a founding member of the Irish Society of Performance Designers and from 2010 – 2017, she was co-artistic director of WillFredd Theatre.
Recent work includes: 0800 Cupid (This Is Pop Baby), The Maestro and the Mosquita (Theatre Lovett), Ciseach (Catherine Young Dance), The Summer I Robbed a Bank (The Everyman Theatre), Children of the Sun (Rough Magic, Abbey Theatre), Bellow (Brokentalkers), Little Women (Lyric Theatre) Intimacy Co-ordinator
Composer & Sound Designer
Garth McConaghie
Musical Director and Composer for Channel 4’s Derry Girls, Garth’s music has been performed and broadcast all over the UK, Ireland and internationally as part of theatrical productions, exhibitions, art installations, films, television and radio.
Recent theatre credits include: Yerma (Tinderbox Theatre Co.); Rebus: A Game Called Malice (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh and touring); Mirrorball (Replay Theatre Co.); The Gap Year (Commedia of Errors, Lyric Theatre, Belfast); X’ntigone (Prime Cut Productions / MAC, Belfast); Burnt Out (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); Rhino (Tinderbox Theatre Co.); The Border Game (Prime Cut Productions); In the Name of the Son (GBL Productions); Rebus: Long Shadows (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); Bouncers (Big Telly / MAC Belfast)
Theatrical children’s scores include: A Christmas Carol (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); The Adventures of Red Riding Hood, The Night Before Christmas, A Christmas Carol, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Hansel and Gretel, Pinocchio (MAC Belfast); Egg, Nivelli’s War, Penguins, Duck, Death and the Tulip, Shh! We Have a Plan, Under the Hawthorn Tree (Cahoots).
Intimacy Co-Ordinator
Paula O’Reilly
Paula O’ Reilly is a Belfast-based Choreographer and Movement Director with a rich body of work that spans across Theatre, Opera, Musicals, TV and Film. Using her understanding of both classical and contemporary dance styles, she fuses physical storytelling with inventive choreography, creating visceral and captivating experiences on stage and screen.
Since moving in to Intimacy Direction for theatre and screen Paula feels strongly about advocating for consent based and best practice throughout the industry. Paula will be soon undertaking a post-grad in Intimacy Coordination at The National Film & Television School mid 2025.
Over her years of collaborating with leading directors, performers and creatives, Paula has shaped the movement for many productions, including; Tresspasses –Wildgaze Films and Channel 4, Postpartum - NI Screen, The Adventures of Red Riding Hood at The MAC, Malaprop’s HotHouse, Xnthony Ltd’s Lourdes! The Musical! WIP, Callings by Kabosh, Tartuffe and Somewhere Out There You at The Abbey Theatre, Lie Low at The Royal Court, Hansel & Gretel and Little Women at The Lyric Belfast, The Snapper at The Gate Theatre, The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Primecut Productions, The Tales of Hoffman with Irish National Opera, Christina Regina di Svezia at Wexford Festival Opera.
Paula is also a Theatre and Dance N.I Invest Artist 24/25
Assistant Director
Debra Hill
Debra is an Actor, Director of Youth Theatre, Drama Facilitator and Chaperone here in Northern Ireland. She made her professional Assistant Directorial debut last year at The Lyric Belfast in Little Women, directed by Emily Foran, which also became her main stage debut as she understudied the role of Meg March for the closing week. She then continued to assist throughout the year on the productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as assistant director directed by Jimmy Fay, which she also starred in as Robin Starveling and Richard III as cast assistant directed by Oisin Kearney.
Debra grew up at The Rainbow Factory School of Performing Arts, gained her Musical Theatre grades from London College of Music, graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a Bachelor’s Degree in Drama and went on to train at The Acting Studio School in New York City at their conservatory.
Debra has spent 10 years in Pantomime with GBL Productions and Christmas past she starred in the premiere of Belfast Actually by Leesa Harker. Some other productions have included Hollow – NI Tour (Replay Theatre Company); Julius Caesar (RSC); The Belfast Tempest (Terra Nova Productions); Body Politics, The Crack in Everything (Macha Productions); Runny Honey (Spanner in the Works) looking at women in the prison system within Northern Ireland which won Best Production at the Buxton Fringe 22; The House (Big Telly); Partition (Brassneck); Belfast Entries (Kabosh).
Whilst also working across Theatre, TV and Film, she has been an Assistant Stage Manager with many local theatre companies and she has also delved into other areas of theatre-making including Operator on Rhino by Tinderbox Theatre Company that was performed at The Lyric, Belfast and was included in The Stage’s Top 50 Shows of 2023 in UK and Ireland. She can currently be heard on The Mac website in several of their audio plays for NINOW100 project and be seen in the recent season of Hope Street BBC and the upcoming Season 3 of Blue Lights. Debra has also recently been cast in an Irish National Tour this Autumn and is looking forward to making her theatre acting debut in the South; watch this space yeoo!
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