Project Blog

The performing arts in Northern Ireland scaled new heights today as the Lyric reached the highest point in the construction of its new theatre.

With the core building structure complete, the theatre has now cemented its place within a new Belfast skyline in its state-of-the-art home on Ridgeway Street.

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Belfast-born actor, writer and director, Kenneth Branagh, first made his mark on local audiences in the 1980s with his powerful portrayal of the title role in Graham Reid’s Billy Plays. Branagh, who plays the title role in the popular BBC detective series Wallander, has offered his personal support to the Lyric at a critical stage in the fundraising campaign. The Lyric Theatre has to raise £150,000 within the next four weeks in order to secure a £500,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation in Michigan, USA.

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Belfast actor Glen Wallace took a break from the set of Channel 4’s ‘Hollyoaks’ recently to enjoy the Lyric’s production of ‘The Miser’ in the Elmwood Hall and to visit the site of the new theatre. Glen has appeared in a number of productions at the Lyric, including ‘The Snow Queen’ and ‘The Arms and the Man’, and he also joined in the madness and mayhem of ‘Glinda’s Glitter Ball’, the Gala Fundraiser which marked the closure of the old theatre in January 2008.

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As the outer shell of the new theatre nears the upper floors, work is underway in site offices and meeting rooms to agree some of the final fixtures and fittings for the public areas of the new Theatre.

From light fittings to plug sockets, radiators to hand dyers, every item must be considered, ensuring that it not only fits in with the architectural design of the building but its ability to be practical, to be fit for purpose.

Structural finishes must also be considered in detail, from the ability of the flooring to resist the wear and tear of daily use (in all weathers) to which materials will best withstand the test of time in toilets. Every room, every floor, every item must be considered, ensuring the new Theatre really will be a state-of-the-art venue, ready to meet the needs of the audiences of the 21st Century.