{"id":24249,"date":"2025-08-06T09:20:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/?p=24249"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:20:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:20:39","slug":"ulster-american-to-make-east-belfast-debut-in-new-sanctuary-theatre-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2025\/08\/ulster-american-to-make-east-belfast-debut-in-new-sanctuary-theatre-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Ulster American to Make East Belfast Debut in New Sanctuary Theatre Production"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bright Umbrella Theatre Company is set to bring the provocative, award-winning play Ulster American to Belfast audiences this summer in a new production directed by company founder and artistic director Trevor Gill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Written by David Ireland, Ulster American was first performed in 2018 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won the prestigious Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award. The play has since gained a reputation for its bold, darkly comic exploration of identity, nationalism, and the uncomfortable tensions between art and politics. This latest production by Bright Umbrella marks the first time the show will be professionally staged in East Belfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

The production will run from Tuesday, August 26 to Saturday, September 6, 2025 at The Sanctuary Theatre, Castlereagh Street, East Belfast, with performances each evening at 7pm. A matinee performance will take place at 2pm on Saturday, September 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking about the decision to stage the play in the east of the city, director Trevor Gill said: \u201cIt is a pleasure to stage Ulster American by David Ireland in East Belfast, where he is from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a very strong and experienced cast well capable of delivering what is a challenging script. David Ireland\u2019s work is a carefully crafted mixture of satire, shock and black humour. We can guarantee a memorable night at the theatre.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The play centres around an American film star, an English director, and a Northern Irish playwright who come together to discuss an upcoming production. As rehearsals begin, differences in politics, perspective, and personal agendas quickly spiral into chaos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Known for its sharp wit and unflinching commentary, the script challenges audiences to confront assumptions about power, privilege, and the narratives we tell ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ulster American deals with themes such as cultural identity, liberal posturing, misogyny, and consent. It is a satire that critiques the abuse of power in creative spaces, the commodification of identity, and the performance of progressive values in the arts. It contains very strong language, graphic violence, and references to sexual assault.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bright Umbrella Theatre Company, based at The Sanctuary Theatre, presents its own productions alongside visiting theatre, poetry, comedy and music. The company has consistently aimed to bring challenging, high-quality productions to local audiences, with a focus on socially relevant themes and educational outreach.<\/span><\/p>\n

In recent years, Bright Umbrella has gained attention for its bold programming choices, including its reinterpretations of classical works with a strong emphasis on making theatre available and relevant to the surrounding community.<\/span><\/p>\n

The company also supports a range of community engagement initiatives, including creative learning programmes and post-show discussions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trevor added: \u201cWe are not interested in theatre that plays it safe. This production is about holding up a mirror and asking difficult questions. It\u2019s about making space for uncomfortable truths to be heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The production, which is part-funded by Belfast City Council, will feature a cast of three, with full casting details to be announced in the coming weeks. Set design, lighting, and visual elements are currently in development to suit the venue\u2019s close and atmospheric setting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets for Ulster American at The Sanctuary Theatre are on sale now at <\/b>brightumbrella.co.uk<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bright Umbrella Theatre Company is set to bring the provocative, award-winning play Ulster American to Belfast audiences this summer in a new production directed by company founder and artistic director Trevor Gill. Written by David Ireland, Ulster American was first performed in 2018 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won the prestigious Carol Tambor … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[1881],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24249"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24251,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24249\/revisions\/24251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}