The God Box, A Daughter’s Story comes to the Playhouse

The God Box, A Daughter’s Story, by bestselling author Mary Lou Quinlan, tells the moving story of her struggle to come to terms with the death of her mother.

The play will be staged at The Playhouse to raise vital funds for Foyle Hospice, whose mission is to provide compassionate palliative care to individuals with a life- limiting illness, their families and carers through high quality specialist, holistic support.

Based on the New York Times bestselling book The God Box, Sharing my mother’s gift of faith, love and letting go, the play shares the story of Mary Lou Quinlan’s remarkable discovery of her mother’s “God Boxes” filled with hundreds of private petitions on torn pages and Post-its written by the very hand that had slipped away.

Performed by Quinlan and co-written and directed by Martha Wollner of NYC’s LAByrinth Theater Company and developed in association with the Irish Repertory Company of NYC, this theatrical piece follows Quinlan on an emotional roller-coaster, ricocheting from grief to laughter to the greatest human challenge: learning to let go.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Mary Lou Quinlan bring this poignant and personal story to the city” Donall Henderson, Chief Executive of Foyle Hospice said.

“We are very privileged that she has chosen to share her own experience of grief through her highly acclaimed play and I have no doubt it will strike a chord with many people. We are so grateful that Mary Lou has recognised the importance of hospice and palliative care, with Foyle Hospice as the primary beneficiary. We acknowledge drama as a very positive way to understand and deal with our emotions, so we are very pleased to be collaborating with the team at The Playhouse once again.”

Quinlan has performed the show for seven years in more than 80 venues around the US, as well as Off-Broadway and in 24 performances at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it earned five stars. In June 2016, Quinlan brought the show to the Lyric Theatre, Belfast and that autumn to 10 theatres in the Republic, including the Lime Tree in Limerick, the Pavilion in Dun Laoghaire and Hawk’s Well in Sligo, with all proceeds benefitting local hospice care. Since its debut, The God Box Project (book and play) has raised nearly $500,000 US for cancer, hospice and education charities.

Drinks reception 7pm and performance at 8pm. Tickets are £12/£10 (proceeds to Foyle Hospice) and available through the Playhouse box office 028 71268027 and online at www.derryplayhouse.co.uk