WHY THEATRE COMPANY STAGE BEYOND REALLY IS ‘UNSTOPPABLE’

Stage Beyond is taking the theatre world by storm after earning rave reviews for its new ground-breaking cabaret-style show ‘Unstoppable’.

The award-winning resident theatre company at the Millennium Forum is supported by National Lottery Funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and provides a voice for the learning-disabled community with its multiple productions and workshops.

Artistic Director Dee Conaghan, who has dedicated her life to addressing the lack of arts provision for young people with learning disabilities, recently won national recognition for her work.

In 2022, 20 years after co-founding Stage Beyond, she was celebrated in the UK-wide People’s Portraits Series, a campaign championing those making the arts accessible to all with the help of National Lottery players who raise more than £30m a week for good causes.

She explained, “I was always interested in what drama can do for people and how transformative it can be for the participants. It’s a safe way to develop yourself, your voice, and confidence.”

Stage Beyond works with prominent directors, musicians, and other artists to provide professional

Stage Beyond on the steps of St Columb’s Hall arts training for members from across the North West. The company has secured numerous accolades including prestigious international recognition.

Respected Shakespearean director Conall Morrison directed ‘Hamlet, Prince of Derry’ which was adapted by RTÉ during the pandemic and won Best Digital Drama at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Stage Beyond also produced its first film, ‘Mind the Time’, which premiered at the Foyle Film Festival and won Best Artists Film at the Together! 2022 Disability Film Festival based in London.

“Sometimes people with learning difficulties suffer from other people’s low expectations and we’re very much about showing that we all have a talent,” said Dee.

“Given the right tools and support, we can all shine, and our stars shine brightly in Stage Beyond. I would like to see Stage Beyond as a recognised theatre company on a par with other theatre companies in the country and we are making significant strides. Access and inclusion are central in all our work.”

Following Stage Beyond’s highlyacclaimed touring production ‘The Great Dictator’, the company was invited earlier this year to perform for a Jordanian government delegation in Belfast hosted by NICO’s Support to Social Protection in Jordan Programme.

‘Unstoppable’ was inspired by the variety shows staged in St Columb’s Hall in the 1960s – which made the cast’s performance at the historic venue on June 24 especially thrilling. The eclectic entertainment ranged from a rousing Shakespeare medley to ‘Frank Carson’. The company’s youth outreach, funded by BBC Children in Need, also took part.

Preparations are already underway for next year’s production, also directed by Conall Morrison, associate director at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

Stage Beyond recently launched its new Hi-Vis summer festival of music and dance with Lilliput and the WhistleBlast Quartet, which will run at The Playhouse from July 17-21. Its members will perform on Culture Night – One Night for All on Friday, September 22. Schools’ outreach will commence in September.