Cultured Spirit is a new innovative theatre project

Cultured Spirit will be staged in The Playhouse on Saturday, September 22 and will feature a performance of ‘Bobby Savage’s Secret War’, the first in a series of short plays about particular periods of Northern Irish history, followed by a talk delivered by a local historian to give context and anecdotes about the period.

Up and coming singer-songwriter Lucy Robinson will perform at the evening, and guests will enjoy a free food and drink samples of Northern Irish fare, thanks to sponsorship from local companies Slice of Heaven and Ruby Blue Vodka. The project is the first production from new theatre company, Marble Productions set up by Bangor women Cathy Ievers and Ellen Collier.

Ellen says Cultured Spirit is Northern Irish by nature: “We aim to promote Northern Irish culture and nurture Northern Irish talent in everything we do. We hope to make Northern Irish theatre enjoyable and accessible to everyone.”

Both Ellen and Cathy, who are still in their early 20s, have been involved in local theatre for many years and saw an opportunity to extend the experience of a night at the theatre to a new audience.

“Initially we felt it would be a great thing to offer to the growing numbers of tourists visiting Belfast, but the reach of the project is more than this. The topics we are covering look at specific periods of Northern Irish history, Bobby Savage’s Secret War, focuses on the Belfast blitz and the role of a young man working for a special unit within the RAF,” Cathy explained.

The play is written by Cathy’s father, Michael Ievers and is based on the true story of Michael’s uncle, discovered only by a chance contact with British Special Forces.

Cultured Spirit will be staged in The Playhouse at 8pm. Tickets are £14.50/£12 and are available from The Playhouse Box Office on (028)71 268027 or www.derryplayhouse.co.uk.