The Tragedy of Richard III: A Lyric Theatre Production
Queen Elizabeth played by: Charlotte McCurry
Photo Credit: Chris Heaney
WELCOME
What draws us to charismatic despots? Look at Richard III, the unruly medieval usurper, and his homicidal progress towards power. Is it his dark, cringing bravura, a grinning clown stepping out of the shadows, or his steely intent towards his sole objective, absolute dominance?
One evening last year, I was scrolling through Twitter, or X, as it was being rebranded. I came across a post from writer/ actor Michael Patrick, who I knew and admired, explaining his recent diagnosis of motor neurone disease and adding a quip at the end that if anyone was casting Richard III, he’s the man. I admired his chutzpah, his glow of life and light, and his sense of mission in the face of such a devastating diagnosis. It was impossible not to respond, and I sent him a direct message, “Was he serious about Richard III?”. He came back immediately saying, “Yes”. I replied, “Ok, let’s do a reading”. So, along with Micheal and his great friend and comrade Oisín Kearney, we organised a reading and did it with a fabulous bunch of actors in the Lyric.
I’d sort of forgotten the play in recent years. Still, during that reading, I remembered how intrigued I was by it as a teenager or, more particularly, by Laurence Oliver’s grotesque vampire in his striking 1955 film. It was also the basis of one of the finest books ever written about the ephemeral art of theatrical acting, Anthony Sher’s diary on playing Richard III for the RSC in 1984. Sher’s Year of the King is a powerful evocation move of his spiderlike transformation (he used crutches to leap across the stage) into the despot. As an actor, he also had to wrestle with the iconic Oliver performance, which haunted actors of his generation. In the 90s, Ian McKellen made an extraordinary movie out of his superb National Theatre performance, locating the
action in a 1930s fascist state of England. For me, the most fascinating performance was one I didn’t see but I read breathless reviews of it in specialist theatre magazines. In the 1979 Edinburgh Festival, the Rustaveli Theatre Company of Tbilisi, Georgia, then still part of the Soviet Union, caused a sensation with a fast-paced, anarchic production of Richard III staring Ramaz Chkhikvadze as a giant gross toad of a despot. Robert Sturua, a director of astonishing vision, directed it. Years later, I got to meet Sturua. He was a gentleman with a crumpled sort of disarming charm that barely hid a steely resolve and sharp intelligence, after all he was forced to deal with the double speak of a corrupted political system that happen also to be the birthplace of the ultimate despot, Josef Stalin. He told me his objective in his production was to show the horror of the struggle for power, the cannibalism of tyranny, as if he were telling the history of his own country, caught in the deathly carnival of the dying communist regime.
Currently, I’m reading the fascinating Character Limit*, a compulsively engaging investigative account of Elon Musk’s bizarre and brutal takeover of the social media platform Twitter. It struck me that it’s a modern, truelife retelling of the Richard III tale. Someone deemed totally unsuited takes over one of the principal social media platforms of the modern era and, by doing so, weilds extraordinary power and undue influence. He is enabled in this by a dysfunctional board and a weak executive who imagines somehow they’ll control Musk and his ambitious but unrealistic aspirations. However, in the wake of a powerful billionaire performing like a manic King, no amount of good practice or HR policies could save people’s jobs, self-esteem or the original vision of Twitter** from Musk, as he laid waste to the existing structure. Instead, what was left
of the bluebird metamorphosed into X, a bullhorn already in your pocket that can be used to spread lies and conspiracy theories and ultimately stoke dormant reserves of hate around the world.
Villains come in all shapes and sizes, but they are mostly now grinning emoji faces trending their violent desire to dominate. With the American Presidential election on the horizon and Musk firmly in the corner of the orange pretender, who knows what will happen next? But it keeps a virtual audience on the “bleeding edge”*** of their seats.
After that brilliant reading we did in the Lyric, it struck me with a particular despairing force and clear logic that this was an opportunity to do what Michael Patrick was already doing, embrace the inevitable, pay tribute fully and wholeheartedly to inclusivity, and pursue an idea of staging beyond the norm.
Unlike private online domains, egalitarianism, consequence, and fairness are always at the core of theatre activity. This is a rough and ready creative vehicle that Micheal Patrick, Oisín and their outstanding company could use to rage against the machine.
I want to extend my gratitude to our wonderful cast and creatives. Michael Patrick shares the role of Richard III, with Zak Ford Williams as his alternate. We’re also incredibly proud to have Paula Clarke, a talented Deaf artist, in the cast, who portrays Tyrrell. This is the first time the Lyric has worked with a deaf actor in a central role.
I hope you enjoy our show.
Jimmy Fay Executive Producer
SEIZING THE MOMENT: DIRECTING RICHARD
III IN THE FACE OF MORTALITY AND AMBITION
On 1st February 2023, Michael called me and told me he had just been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. He had been complaining about his foot drop for months, and for some reason, I didn’t even think about the possibility that it was MND. I didn’t want to think about it. Michael and I had known each other for 15 years, since we met at university. We had been making theatre together for years and had been close colleagues since 2017, when we co-wrote My Left Nut. I had come to know his family, his school friends’ group, and his now-wife Naomi.
So, what do you do when one of your best friends is dying? You try to be there for them. Michael was adamant he wanted to keep working, primarily as a means of escape, but also because he needed to continue to eat. When he suggested Richard III and Jimmy Fay was interested in programming it, I jumped at the chance to direct it. I knew it would be special.
Our production isn’t a historical tale from hundreds of years ago. It’s a current story about power, life, and death. The whole show amounts to reflecting Richard III’s predicament as a dying man. He is facing the end of his days, and striving for the crown. Richard wants to be King. And in turn, Michael the actor wants to play the King. This production asks its audience, what do we want to do before time runs out?
Working with Michael in adapting the play and directing him and the cast has been a great privilege of my life.
It is my Main Stage debut and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved together. I hope that the energy of Shakespeare’s words pulses off the stage and fills the audience with the hunger to go out and grab life by the balls. The setting is not in the past or future, but a timeless ‘Now’ - the first word of the play. Really, ‘now’ is all we have. I’d like to thank Jimmy Fay and Morag Keating for finding the funding to make the show happen; Niall McKeever for his bold and exciting ideas for set and costume; Arthur, Aidan, and Adrian for their tireless efforts to make our vision a reality; Costume and Stage Management teams for all of their meticulous work; Nick Cooke and his team at John Preston for supporting the project by lending us their wheelchairs; Rachel Twigg and Chrissy Angus at The National Theatre Studio for supporting the show with a week’s development work through the Generate programme.
Oisín Kearney Director
The Tragedy of Richard III: A Lyric Theatre Production King Richard III played by: Michael Patrick
Photo Credit: Chris Heaney
UNRAVELING
ILLUSIONS: DESIGNING RICHARD III’S WORLD OF POWER, PERCEPTION AND REALITY
In designing this production of Richard III, we were guided by arguably the most important line from the play: “Now.” This word encapsulates our vision, a commitment to creating a performance that resonates deeply with modern audiences and reflects the complexities of the world we live in.
From our first conversations, it was clear to Oisín and I that we wanted to create imagery that was visceral, striking, and thought-provoking. Our goal was to design a production where life and art intersect in profound and poignant ways, building a world shaped by Richard’s manipulations, yet one in which he ultimately finds himself ensnared.
Our approach to the design stemmed from the idea that we, alongside the audience, are inhabiting Richard’s distorted, escapist reality—a world of his making, but one with an underlying truth that would gradually reveal itself. This slow unraveling mirrors Richard’s journey. As his isolation grows and his ability to maintain his façade over others weakens, so too does the coherence of his constructed world. The scenography reflects this unraveling; the audience, like
Richard’s victims, gradually begin to see through the layers of artifice, questioning the performance and, by extension, the reality of the show itself.
This theme led us to explore the question: What happens when one’s fate is revealed too early? How do we construct false realities to cope with an inevitable future? Inspired by artists like Banksy and Kienholz, we integrated ironic and sometimes childlike imagery to interrogate the futility of power and ambition when faced with a terminal diagnosis. This visual language allowed us to offer a glimpse into Richard’s warped perception of the world, leading the audience through a journey where the boundaries between performance, reality, and constructed illusion are constantly blurred.
As the story progresses, the theatricality of Richard’s world becomes more apparent. The audience is increasingly reminded that they are witnessing a contrived reality. As Richard’s psychological state deteriorates and his grip on control weakens, the design reveals a raw and unsettling truth - a truth both of Richard’s internal torment and the broader existential implications of his actions.
By the play’s conclusion, the revelation of stark white walls signals the ultimate confinement of Richard’s existence. The world he once controlled, an arena for manipulation, is
reduced to a sterile, enclosed space, a metaphorical and literal tomb where his ambitions come to die. This final image underscores the futility of Richard’s rise to power, revealing the existential trap that lies at the heart of both his character and, perhaps, our own lives.
The costumes in this production reflect the same heightened sense of reality that runs throughout the set design—a world suspended between historical reference and modern relevance. We’ve drawn subtle, and at times more explicit, connections to contemporary figures of influence, while nodding to Medieval and Tudor styles. This creates a timeless, “forever” aesthetic that defies strict categorisation as either period or contemporary. The characters occupy a space that exists in-between, with visual cues that evoke the power dynamics of today’s influential figures, who wield their platforms to manipulate and mobilise, exposing the inherent dangers of blindly following charismatic leaders.
Much like the set, the costumes gradually reveal the cracks in the characters’ performative facades. These figures, who initially present themselves as larger-than-life, are ultimately just players in Richard’s world, and by the end, some are able to walk off stage as
themselves—stripped of their constructed identities. This creates an intentional blurring of the lines between character and actor, performance and reality, further deepening the audience’s engagement with the themes of manipulation and illusion.
Specifically chosen props and set elements such as a set of stairs or a monolithic battlement, serve as physical and symbolic obstacles for Richard but tools for other characters to assert dominance and power over one another. These objects, designed to evoke grandeur and authority, are gradually revealed for their artifice, reflecting the underlying hollowness of the power they represent. As the play progresses and the layers of illusion peel away, the truth of these constructed realities—and the precarious nature of the power they embody—is laid bare.
Niall McKeever Set & Costume Designer
FROM THE REHEARSAL ROOM
Photo Credit: Johnny Frazer
SOUNDING THE DRUMS OF WAR: SHAPING
THE SONIC WORLD OF RICHARD III
This is such an incredibly special production and team to be part of and it’s been a really fun process to come up with a concept for the music and sound design for the play. Oisín and Michael’s brilliant adaptation and Niall’s stunning visual design were really exciting and inspiring jumping off points for me as I started the process of thinking about what the piece might sound like. From the start Oisín was really keen on having live drums on stage so we have been working closely the exceptional percussion director Austin Gallagher to develop ideas and teach the actors his impressive arrangements.
The soundscape will mix traditional and contemporary ideas and sounds to hopefully create an exciting sonic playground for the action to take place within. I always love mixing
am thoroughly enjoying being able to lean in to the drama and heightened nature of this brilliant play. The language is so beautiful, poetic and rhythmically spoken and it feels so natural to weave music in with the words.
As much as this production is heightened and highlights the destruction that the pursuit of power can have it also reminds us that life is short, our time is limited and we should not take for granted the things we have in the moment. It invites us to go out and live life whilst we can. It’s a powerful piece being made with powerful people and it’s not something I’ll ever forget being part of.
The Tragedy of Richard III: A Lyric Theatre Production Richmond played by: Ghaliah Conroy
Photo Credit: Chris Heaney
THE COMPANY
Tyrrell
Lady Anne & Richmond
Hastings
Richard III
Duchess of York
Buckingham
Queen Elizabeth
Stanley Clarence
Richard III
Sign Language Interpreters
Assistant to Cast
Writer
Script Adaptor Director
Set & Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer & Composer
Percussion Director
Fight Director
Paula Clarke
Ghaliah Conroy
Michael Curran-Dorsano
Zak Ford-Williams
Allison Harding
Patrick McBrearty
Charlotte McCurry
Chris McCurry
Ciaran O’Brien
Michael Patrick
Kristina Laverty
Chloe McBurney
Trisha McMaster
Debra Hill
William Shakespeare
Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney
Oisín Kearney
Niall McKeever
Jonathan M. Daley
Katie Richardson
Austin Gallagher
Phillip Rafferty
The Tragedy of Richard III: A Lyric Theatre Production King Richard III played by: Zak Ford-Williams
Photo Credit: Chris Heaney
Executive Producer
Senior Producer
Casting Director
Production Co-ordinator
Head Of Production
Production Manager
Assistant Production Manager
Company Stage Manager
Stage Manager
Deputy Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager Freelance Maker
Technical Manager
Senior Production Technician
Senior Theatre Technicians
Technicians
Set Construction
Lead Set Builder Scenic Carpenters
Scenic Welder
Scenic Artist
Workshop Assistant Trainee Scenic Carpenter
Costume Manager
Costume Assistants
Costume Makers
Dresser Hair & Make-Up
Photography / Videography
Jimmy Fay
McCormack
Lynda Thompson-Spak Caroline Reynolds
Carrie Davenport
Graphic Designer
Public Relations / Press
Rachael Harriott
With Thanks John Preston Medical & Mobility - Lisburn, Department of Communities, KPMG, John & Jackie D’arcy, Anne Bailie, Nick Cooke, Conor Mitchell - Belfast Ensemble, David Maxwell - BOC Gas (Healthcare), Les Doherty - Enva Recycling, James Kee, David Thompson & Mark Roxborough - New Gate Arts & Culture CentreLondonderry, Michael Birch & Gary McKie.
CAST
Paula
Clarke Tyrrell
Born in Armagh. Paula is profoundly Deaf and is fluent in British and Irish Sign Languages. She is an advocate for equality and sign language access in the arts.
Lyric Theatre credits: Death of the Innocents (Lyric Theatre), The Naked Hands (Lyric Theatre, online).
Other Theatre credits: Hamlyn (Crescent Arts Centre); The Wicked (Playhouse, Derry); Big Andrew and Wee Paula (Playhouse, Derry/ Alley Theatre, Strabane); The Lady Woman Left (Prime Cut Productions, Belfast); Are You Okay? (Belfast Health and Social Care Trust); Jo’s Story (Media Education, Edinburgh); To Kill a Mockingbird (Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady); Sleeping Beauty (The MAC Theatre, Belfast); Expecting (The MAC Theatre, Belfast/ Edinburgh Fringe Festival); & Expecting (Keegan Theatre, Washington, USA).
Film, TV, and radio credits: Signed Summary Newsline (BBC); The Druthaib’s Ball (Ulster Museum, Belfast); Tyrone (Brassneck Film & Production); & Under the Lamp (BSL Zone).
Paula has worked as a BSL translator for BBC and Signify Media and offers BSL consultation services to interpreters, choreographers and theatre makers. Paula is the founder of the NI Deaf Arts Festival in collaboration with Cre8 and C21 Theatre Companies, with its inaugural festival in 2024
Ghaliah Conroy Lady Anne & Richmond
Ghaliah is an Irish/French Guianese maker and performer. Born and based in Dublin, she trained in Contemporary Dance and Choreography at Fontys School of Performing Arts in The Netherlands.
Ghaliah is excited to be making her Lyric Theatre debut with this production of Richard III
Theatre credits include: The Pull Of The Stars (The Gate Theatre, Dublin); HAMMAM (The Abbey Theatre, Dublin); & Before You Say Anything (Dublin Castle).
Screen credits: TWIG (Blue Ink Films); No Hesitation (Short)(Albert Hooi, District Magazine).
Michael Curran-Dorsano Hastings
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michael is a Belfast based actor who trained at The Juilliard School (NYC) and went on to work for 10 years in the USA.
This is Michael’s Lyric Theatre Debut
Other Theatre credits include: Granny Jackson’s Dead; The Worst Cafe In The World (Big Telly); lead roles at The Guthrie Theater and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Screen credits include: The Last Ship (HBO/Amazon); Galaxy Dance (BBC3); Tuesday Traders (Big Bay Entertainment); Compound Fractures (NYTV Festival); The Man Who Saved The Internet With A Sunflower (Audience Choice Award, Dances With Films ‘24).
Zak Ford-Williams Richard III
Zak trained at the Manchester School of Theatre, graduating in 2020.
This is Zak’s Lyric Theatre debut.
Theatre credits include: The Real & Imagined History of the Elephant Man (Nottingham Playhouse); A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story (Nottingham Playhouse/Alexandra Palace); We Were Told There Was Dancing, Nothing (Royal Exchange Theatre); Coram Boy, Attempts on Her Life, Play, The Duchess of Malfi, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The Seagull, Time and the Conways (Manchester School of Theatre).
Lyric Theatre credits include: Queen of Hearts in Alice The Musical, Captain Jess Hook in Peter Pan, Swallowfire in Pinocchio, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, Ralph in Kiss me Kate, The Witch in Into The Woods for NI Opera directed by Cameron Menzies and most recently Aunt March in Little Women directed by Emily Foran.
West End credits include: Return to The Forbidden Planet, From A Jack to A King, Sister Act and Once, all original casts.
Tour credits include: Sister Act, The Girls, From A Jack to A King, Forbidden Planet and recently Once in Taiwan
TV credits include: Ellis, Malpractice, Dalgliesh, London’s Burning and The Bill.
Film credits include: Beauty and The Beast for Disney, Mamma Mia Here We go Again, Old Friends and Other Days for NI Opera, and There There for Stormlight Media.
Awards: Best Musical Olivier Awards for Return to The Forbidden Planet, Irish Times Award for Best Production, Into The Woods, Paris Shorts Best film Old Friends and Other Days.
With thanks to Emma Copland for her invaluable guidance and knowledge in preparation for this production of Richard III.
Allison is an Actor Musician and lives in Belfast. She would like to dedicate her performance to Bette Bourne, Mentor, Drag Queen, Actor, Activist and one of a kind. 1939 - 2024.
Patrick McBrearty
Buckingham
Born in County Donegal. Currently Living in Belfast. Trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Lyric Theatre credits include: A Midsummer Nights Dream; Border Game (Prime Cut & Lyric Theatre coproduction); Translations (Rage & Lyric Theatre co-production) New Speak; Colleen Bawn (Lyric Theatre & Bruiser co-production); Sinners; Three Sisters Lyric Theatre; Blackout
Other Theatre credits include: The McCooeys (Centre Stage); The Real Housewives of Norn Iron (Red Brick Road); MidSummer Nights Dream (Terra Nova); I Shall Wear Purple (C21); What We Are Made Of (TinderBox); After The End (Pintsize NI); Under The Hawthorn Tree (Cahoots NI); The Tempest (Terra Nova); Blinkered (Sole Purpose); Frank Pig Says Hello (An Grianan Productions); Importance of Being Ernest (Wilde Festival); Lover!s (Friel Festival).
Film, TV and Radio credits include: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO) World on Fire (BBC/PBS); Dakota (Apple TV); Hope Street (BBC/Britbox); St Mungos (BBC NI); The Crown (Netflix); Soft Border Patrol (BBC NI); Spotlight (BBC NI): Tight Shorts (BBC NI); Pike (Studio Volta); The Hand (NI Screen); The Dead From the Sea (Amalia); True Crime (Farset Films); Lost City of Z (Plan B); Still Waters (Carnaby Productions); The Girl with the Dead Long Legs (BBC); This One Time on the Border (BBC NI); What Happens in Ulster (BBC NI).
Charlotte McCurry
Queen Elizabeth
Charlotte is an award-winning actress from Belfast. She trained at Guildford School of Acting, graduating with first class honours and was the recipient of the Sir Alec Guinness Memorial Award.
Lyric Theatre Credits include: Double Cross, Alice The Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red, The Jungle Book & The Crucible.
Other Theatre Credits Include: Lie Low (Royal Court); The Twilight Zone (Almeida West End); Oedipus, She Stoops to Conquer, The Risen People, The Dead, The Picture of Dorian Gray (Abbey Theatre); The Father, The Threepenny Opera (Gate Theatre Dublin); Big Maggie, DruidShakespeare, Conversations on a Homecoming (Druid); Northern Star (Rough Magic); Annie (Cork Opera House); Nivelli’s War (New Victory Theatre New York/ Cahoots NI); Pinocchio (The Mac/ Cahoots NI); Hedda (Green Room), Both Sides (Ransom); The Great Carmo! (Cahoots NI); The Haunting of Helena Blunden (Big Telly); The Famous Five (Tabard Theatre); Kitty and Damnation (Lion & Unicorn); Jack & the Beanstalk (Grand Opera House Belfast).
Screen Credits Include: Ellis (Company Pictures/ Channel 5); Say Nothing (Disney/ FX); Silverpoint (BBC); World on Fire (BBC); Dalgliesh (Acorn TV/ Channel 5); Hope Street (BBC); Ted’s Top Ten (CITV); Almost Never (CBBC); Three Families (BBC); The Titanic Inquiry and Our William (BBCNI); Ballywalter (Empire Street Productions).
Radio work includes; Assume Nothing - How to Kill a Government in 14 Days (BBC); Assume Nothing - The Hunt for Typhoid Mary (BBC); Limelight - Bitter Pill (BBC).
Chris McCurry Stanley
Chris graduated from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2015.
Lyric Theatre credits include: The Long Road (dir. Richard Croxford), 55 Days (dir. Philip Crawford).
Other Theatre credits include: Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Abbey Theatre and Headlong, dir. Jeremy Herrin); All Mod Cons (dir. Ronan Phelan); Hangmen (dir. Andrew Flynn); Operation Crucible (Off-Broadway, dir. Bryony Shanahan).
Screen credits include: The Last Rifleman (Wee Buns/ Ripple World Pictures, dir. Terry Loane); Small Town Big Story (Playground Pictures, SKY); The Tourist - Series 2 (Two Brothers Pictures/ BBC); Bloodlands - Series 2 (Hat Trick/ JM Productions, BBC One); Hope Street (Britbox/ BBC, dir. Sean Glynn); The Woman in White (BBC, dir. Carl Tibbetts); Torvill and Dean (ITV, dir. Gilles MacKinnon); Krypton (Syfy, dir. Metin Huseyin); The Keeper (Zephyr Films, dir. Marcus Rosenmuller); Belfast (Universal, dir. Kenneth Branagh).
Ciaran O’Brien
Clarence
Ciarán O’Brien trained at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Dublin.
Theatre credits include: Women On The Verge Of HRT for GBL at The Belfast Opera House and Gaiety Theatre; The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe ; Maz and Bricks for Fishamble at 59E59 Theatre (Best Actor at New York Origin Theatre Awards) and Edinburgh Fringe; The Plough and the Stars at Lyric Hammersmith, Abbey Theatre and on US tour; The Playboy of the Western World and Orson’s Shadow at Southwark Playhouse; Of Mice and Men at Birmingham Rep; Translations at The Rose Theatre, Sheffield Crucible and for ETT; Drum Belly, The Government Inspector, Curse of the Starving Class, Arrah Na Pogue, Perve, The Comedy of Errors, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Saved and Julius Caesar at the Abbey Theatre; Travesties for Rough Magic; Between Foxrock and a Hard Place, The Shawshank Redemption and Philadelphia, Here I Come! at the Gaiety Theatre; Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme for Livin’ Dred; Elevator, This is our Youth, Fewer Emergencies at the Project Theatre Dublin; The Great Goat Bubble for Galway Arts Festival; The Magic Tree at Cork Midsummer festival and Edinburgh Fringe; White Rabbit Red Rabbit at Dublin Fringe; and Oliver Twist at the Gate Theatre.
TV credits include: Misfits, Ripper Street, The Last Security Man, The Tudors and Fair City
Film Credits include: Hunted, Pursuit, and The Boy from Mercury.
Michael Patrick Richard III
Patrick was born, raised, and currently lives in Belfast. He Trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts after studying at The University of Cambridge.
Other Theatre credits: Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company), Othello (Abbey Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing, Titus Andronicus (Cambridge Shakespeare Festival), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Importance of Being Earnest (Bruiser), My Left Nut, Lie Low (Prime Cut Productions), Radamisto (NI Opera).
Screen credits include: This Town, Blue Lights, My Left Nut, Death and Nightingales, Soft Border Patrol (BBC), Game of Thrones (HBO), Krypton (SyFy), Bernard Dunne’s Mythical Heroes, Blasts from the Past (RTÉ).
THE TIMELESS LEGACY AND STAGE EVOLUTION OF RICHARD III
Richard III reigned briefly a long time ago (14831485), yet his name remains widely known. A large part of Richard’s fame - or infamy - is undoubtedly due to Shakespeare’s play that bears his name. Richard III has been popular as a text since it was written in the early 1590s: six quarto editions were printed (compared to two quartos of Hamlet) before the 1623 First Folio of Shakespeare’s collected works. The First Folio locates Richard III as the concluding play in Shakespeare’s first history tetralogy (following Henry VI, Parts One, Two and Three), but it is outstanding in its development of the main character of the king and his undeniable stage presence; small wonder that the first confirmed performance was to a royal audience, King Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria, in November, 1633.
As the second-longest play in Shakespeare’s canon, Richard III is frequently shortened for performance (our Lyric version is two thirds of the original length). One of the most audacious ‘adaptations’ was Colley Cibber’s 1699 version, which used only 800 lines of Shakespeare’s original and included a new opening act and the onstage murder of the young princes in the tower. Cibber played his Richard
on stage for forty years, and his ‘version’ remained the standard stage version of Richard III for over 150 years before Shakespeare’s original regained performance popularity.
Notable twentieth century versions of Richard III include Laurence Olivier’s melodramatic performance at the Old Vic in 1944 and Ian McKellen’s compelling fascist Richard, in Richard Eyre’s National Theatre Production, which played here in Belfast in 1990. Both Olivier and McKellen’s versions were later turned into critically-acclaimed films.
One reason for the enduring attraction of Richard III is that Shakespeare wrote the title character of Richard, with his lengthy soliloquys (21 in total) and mesmerising stage presence, specifically for Richard Burbage, his leading actor in the King’s Men. The original, like our Lyric production, thus represented a powerful collaboration between good friends.
DR. ANNE BAILIE
CREATIVES
Oisín Kearney Director & Script Adaptor
Oisín Kearney is a director and writer who works across stage and screen. Theatre directing credits include: Lie Low by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth (Prime Cut Productions at Project Arts, Lyric Naughton, Abbey Peacock, Traverse, Royal Court); My Left Nut by Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney (winner of Edinburgh Fringe Festival Lustrum Award), which we turned into a BBC Three mini-series; How These Desperate Men Talk by Enda Walsh (Culture Night Belfast) and I, Banquo by Tim Crouch (Lyric Naughton).
During COVID, Oisín directed of livestreamed, hybrid and audio plays: TICKET TO IDENTIFY by Jake O’Kane and How To Be a Border Person for The MAC Belfast; WHEEL OF JUSTICE for a Lyric Theatre Live to Digital Commission and NEWSPEAK, the Lyric Theatre Belfast COVID Pandemic piece; and he co-directed a new work theatre festival No Touching Theatre Festival.
Oisín is former resident Assistant Director at the Lyric Theatre Belfast, worked as Assistant Director on Lyric productions from 2016-20, including Educating Rita by Willy Russell, Good Vibrations by Glenn Patterson & Colin Carberry, Kiss Me Kate by Bella & Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and Driving Home for Christmas by Conor Grimes & Alan McKee. Oisín has directed several documentaries for BBCNI and De Correspondent/NPO2. His first feature as Director, BOJAYÁ: Caught In The Crossfire, premiered at Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto in April 2019 and was streamed by Aljazeera. He has Assistant Produced a number of feature documentaries, including 66 DAYS (BBC Storyville) and Oscar long-listed and Emmy-nominated ELIÁN (CNN Films). Oisín is represented by Curtis Brown.
Michael Patrick Script Adaptor
Michael Patrick was born, raised, and currently lives in Belfast; trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts after studying at the University of Cambridge.
Lyric Theatre credits include: The Border Game (Lyric Theatre & Prime Cut Productions).
Other Theatre credits include: My Left Nut (Prime Cut Productions); The Alternative (Fishamble).
Film, TV, and radio credits include: My Left Nut (BBC Three); Soft Border
Patrol (BBC NI); Bitter Pill; The 100 Year Old Backstop (BBC Radio Four); This One Time on the Border; Quick Comedy (BBC Radio Ulster).
Awards include:
My Left Nut (BBC) - Winner: Royal Television Society Northern Ireland 2020 - Best Drama; Royal Television Society Yorkshire 2021 - Best Drama; Royal Television Society Yorkshire 2021 - Best Writers
My Left Nut (Theatre) - Winner: Summerhall Lustrum AwardEdinburgh Fringe 2018
Nominee: The Guardian “Best shows at Edinburgh” - Ed Fringe 2018
The Alternative - Winner: Fishamble’s A Play for Ireland programme; Irish Times Theatre Awards 2020 - Best Director & Best Soundscape.
Niall McKeever Set & Costume Designer
Niall is an Irish scenographer based in London. He is a recipient of the 1 year full time Max Rayne Production Design residency at the National Theatre, London (2018 -2019) where was Associate Designer on Translations.
In 2021 he designed the JMK Award winning production of Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act directed by Diane Page, produced at the Orange Tree Theatre.
In 2022, Niall designed Northern Ireland Opera’s Into The Woods, which won the Irish Times Irish Theatre Award for ‘Best Production’. He was also nominated for ‘Best Set’. His work on Into The Woods appeared on The Stage’s Top Shows of 2022, and La Traviata in The Observer’s ‘Best concerts and operas of 2022’.
Recent productions: Eugene Onégin (Northern Ireland Opera at Grand Opera House Belfast); Peter Pan (Gate Theatre Dublin); Tosca (Northern Ireland Opera at Grand Opera House Belfast); Into The Woods (His Majesty’s Theatre Perth); Yellowman (Orange Tree Theatre); The Dry House (Marylebone Theatre).
Upcoming productions: As Associate; Oedipus (Old Vic).
Previous associate/assistant credits: Waiting For Godot (Royal Haymarket); Translations, Peter Gynt, (National Theatre); Klippies (Young Vic); The Trails (Donmar Warehouse).
Television/Film: Game of Thrones season V - VII (HBO); In The Earth, In Fabric (Rook Films).
Katie Richardson Sound Designer & Composer
Katie Richardson is a musician, composer, sound designer and musical director who currently makes her own music under the name Hex Hue. Under several different guises, she has worked and collaborated with musicians such as Foy Vance and Duke Special as well as supporting artists like Van Morrison, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Jesca Hoop, Bell X1, All Saints and many more.
This year Katie was the creative director and composer for The Big Dream as part of Little Amal’s visit to Belfast with Arts Ekta and The Walk Productions. In 2023 she composed and directed the music for Electro Carnival, which was a collection of work for samba band and additional musicians and singers to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of Beat Carnival. The commission culminated in a spectacular performance in The MAC, Belfast in September of last year. In October 2023 Katie was asked to curate and direct the music for the opening and closing of the One Young World conference in the SSE arena Belfast which featured some of Ireland’s best emerging musicians. Katie is one of award winning theatre company, Prime Cut’s, Reveal artists which champions and develops emerging theatre makers. She is currently working on a music based commission with them as part of this award. In Summer 2020 Katie curated the Creative Hub for the TedX Stormont online and co-founded Safe in Sound which is a new initiative with the vision to create a safe, strong, connected creative sector founded on equality, diversity and respect.
Theatre Credits include: Good Vibrations, Rough Girls, All Mod Cons, Hansel & Gretal and Beauty and the Beast (Lyric Theatre); The New Electric Ballroom (The Gate Theatre); Aurora, Father the Father (Prime Cut Productions); Shadowdock (Threes Theatre Company); Not on Our Watch, Callings, The Shedding of Skin (Kabosh Theatre Company); Brink (Maiden Voyage Dance); The Man Who Fell to Pieces, Huzzies (Tinderbox Theatre Company).
Film credits include; Gael Force (Tara Hegarty); Oyster (Farset Films); Let us be seen (Vish Films); The Death of a Projectionist (Out of Orbit), BIND - a dance film, Eileen McClory and Quotidian
Jonathan M. Daley
Lighting Designer
Jonathan is a playwright and lighting designer based in Belfast.
Recent lighting design credits include: All Growed Up (BYMT); I Always Liked The Name Marcus & Holding Ground (Tinderbox Theatre Company); Waiting For The Offo (Bosco Productions); No Citation (Bourke Productions); Mirrorball & The Untold Truth of Captain Hook (Replay Theatre Company).
Upcoming lighting design work includes: Rose + Bud (Commedia of Errors); Touch Hear Feel (Belfast International Arts Festival); The Adventures of Red Riding Hood (The Mac, Belfast); and The Velveteen Rabbit (Replay Theatre Company & Lyric Theatre, Belfast).
Jonathan’s written work has been performed all over the UK and Ireland.
Recent writing credits include: Sylvan (Tinderbox Theatre Company); The Revolution Will Be Streamed & Vection (Headrush, Ireland); Release & A Body, Twice (Ever Unique Productions).
Jonathan is currently working on a new play about the Belfast DeLorean factory, which started life as a Lyric Theatre Belfast seed commission.
Austin Gallagher Percussion Director
Austin Gallagher is a freelance percussionist and instrumental tutor from Castlederg in Co.Tyrone who currently lives in Belfast.
Austin took up percussion at the age of 13 in school and began playing in numerous local Rock bands, Brass Bands and Orchestras and became a regular percussionist with a number of Amateur Theatre companies.
Whilst studying at percussion at Huddersfield University to he joined different Brass Bands including three years with Brighouse and Rastrick during which they won English, National and European titles. After University Austin spent a period as a freelance percussionist before taking up a position as Percussion tutor for the SELB/EA Music Service. Over the last 25 years he has taught over 20,000 pupils including a number of pupils who have gone on to have
successful careers in the music industry. Through his education work he has developed an interest in World drumming and has travelled to Bali to study Gamelan and to the Ivory Coast to study African drumming.
Austin is the regular percussionist in a number of amateur theatre and choral companies throughout NI playing in venues such as The Grand Opera House, The Market Place theatre, Theatre at the Mill and The Bardic Theatre. He also regularly plays with orchestras such as The Belfast Pops Orchestra and Studio Symphony Orchestra.
Austin has been composing music for percussion ensemble pieces and writing his own tutor books for 20 years but this is his first venture writing materials for a Theatre production.
Phillip Rafferty Fight Director
Philip Rafferty is a Stage Combat Instructor and Fight Director based in Belfast. He is a member of the Academy of Performance Combat & Raff Combat, and has taught in Rose Bruford College, Lyric Theatre Belfast and Belfast Metropolitan College.
Fight Directing credits include:
The Beauty Queen of Leanne (Prime Cut, Lyric Theatre); Lie Low (Abbey Theatre, Royal Court); Good Vibrations (Lyric Theatre, Belfast & Irish Arts Center USA); Tosca (Grand Opera House, Belfast); Vection (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); Little Women (Lyric Theatre, Belfast) and The Pillowman (Lyric Theatre, Belfast)
Phillip is proud to continue working with the Lyric Theatre on The Tragedy of Richard III and working with an amazing cast and crew.
The Tragedy of Richard III: A Lyric Theatre Production Clarence played by: Ciaran O’Brien
Photo Credit: Chris Heaney
FAMILY TREES ... IN OUR VERSION
HOUSE OF
HOUSE OF
LANCASTER YORK
KING HENRY VI
QUEEN ELIZABETH
LADY ANNE
In our theatre adaptation of Richard III by William Shakespeare, we present a simplified version of the historical family dynamics leading up to the infamous rise of Richard III. Understanding the characters and their relationships helps set the stage for the complex web of ambition, loyalty, and betrayal that unfolds. Here’s a breakdown of the two opposing factions that shape the narrative:
House of Lancaster
Queen Elizabeth
Edward IV’s wife, originally from the Lancaster side, now caught in Richard’s power struggle.
Stanley
Queen Elizabeth’s advisor, trying to survive the dangerous political shifts.
Richmond
Stanley’s nephew, young and determined to challenge Richard for the throne.
King Henry VI
The former King from the House of Lancaster, defeated by York in the civil war.
Lady Anne
Daughter-in-law of Henry VI, forced into marriage with Richard after he kills her father and husband.
THE DUCHESS OF YORK
CLARENCE RICHARD
House of York
Richard III
The youngest of three brothers. Ambitious and ruthless, Richard will stop at nothing to become king.
King Edward IV
Richard’s eldest brother and the current King. His reign is threatened by Richard’s schemes.
Clarence
The middle brother, caught between his loyalty to his family and the danger of Richard’s ambition.
Duchess of York
Mother of Richard, Edward, and Clarence, her sons’ actions will shape the kingdom’s future.
Buckingham
Richard’s loyal ally and partner in crime.
Tyrrel
A murderer hired by Richard to eliminate his enemies.
Hastings
A York loyalist whose faith in Richard is tested as he learns of Richard’s cruelty.
Lord Catesby
The political figure representing the common people, manipulated by Richard.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that a ects the brain and spinal cord. It can leave people locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk and eventually breathe.
MND kills a third of people within one year, and more than half within two years of diagnosis. It has no cure.
The MND Association is the leading charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland focused on funding research, improving access to care and campaigning for people living with or a ected by MND.
Hear Michael Patrick on the MND Association’s own podcast, MND Matters. Michael and Director Oisin Kearney delve into the decision-making of The Tragedy of Richard III, and Michael shares his own experiences of living with motor neurone disease. Scan the QR code to listen.
Domonique and, Ken, who is living with MND
Board of Directors
LYRIC STAFF
STAFF LIST
STAFF LIST
Photo Credit: Chris Heaney
The Tragedy of Richard III: A Lyric Theatre Production Richmond & Queen Elizabeth played by: Ghaliah Conroy & Charlotte McCurry
