Local talent unearthed in new Lyric foundations
Recent excavations on the site of the theatre have unearthed some interesting old earthenware jars and bottles. The items are believed to have been left behind from an old bottle manufacturer located on the site at the turn of the 20th Century.
Whilst many of the jars and bottles have no markings, two are of interest. The first is a brown earthenware jar with a marking on the base “Doulton Lambeth”. This mark was before the famous pottery producer was granted Royal Warrant and dates the jar to sometime between 1858 and 1910.
The second is more interesting. It is a low rise earthenware jar branded on the front with “Nicholl’s Medical Hall, 25 High Street, Belfast”.
Research shows that the Medical Hall was established by an Isaac Waugh Nicholl in 1891 on the corner of High Street and Wilsons Court. Not only was Mr Nicholl a pharmacist but he was also one of the most respected Organists of St Anne’s Cathedral (1874 to 1903) and The Pillar of Music, designed by Charles Nicholson and carved by Morris Harding in 1927 was the gift of Mr Nicholl’s widow and children in his memory.
Northern Ireland has produced some great talent and to discover a Nicholl’s Medical Hall jar beneath the foundations of the new Lyric Theatre bodes well for the future. The Lyric Theatre hopes to in turn, unearth new local talent in new writing, Irish and International classics.
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