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Emotional Return to Belfast for Liam 
New York-based movie star Liam Neeson flew home to Northern Ireland in
January to take part in the final curtain call at Belfast’s historic
Lyric Players Theatre on the banks of the River Lagan which is closing
to make way for a $30 million redevelopment.
Liam’s appearance on stage earned him a standing ovation from a
delighted capacity crowd. Afterwards he went backstage to meet over forty
young actors, aged between 7 and 12 years, who had taken part in the final
production. These Protestant and Catholic children, many from very disadvantaged
parts of the city, had performed side by side for over ten weeks, demonstrating
the crucial role which arts can play in integrating young people outside
of traditional community boundaries. Liam spent several hours answering
questions, signing autographs and posing for photographs with his young
fans.
Liam started his professional acting career at the Lyric Theatre in 1976,
learning his craft there before going on to appear in dozens of blockbuster
films. Liam has remained closely involved with the Lyric and has been
instrumental in helping the theater to raise millions of dollars to secure
its future in a landmark new venue.
“When I started at the Lyric it was a very dangerous time for
Northern Ireland, and yet the theater never closed,” said Liam during
his visit to Belfast. “There were at least two performances I can
think of where there was a bomb scare and we had to wait out on the street
dressed in costume, but then we came back in and resumed the show.
This theater has been a beacon of light and hope throughout Northern
Ireland’s darkest days and it has a vital role to play in Belfast’s
cultural, social and economic regeneration. In the face of the deep divisions
that have traditionally kept communities apart, the Lyric serves as a
powerful unifying force, providing a safe and neutral space in which people
from different backgrounds can enjoy shared experiences, develop creatively,
and explore their rich cultural diversity.”
During his visit to Belfast, Liam hosted a dinner for major benefactors,
including Irish businessman Dr Martin Naughton and his wife Carmel who
have donated $2 million to the capital campaign. The Northern Ireland
Assembly’s Culture Minister, Edwin Poots MLA (DUP) attended the
dinner, as did Sinn Féin Councillor Alex Maskey, representing Belfast
City Council. Fellow actor and Golden Globe nominee James Nesbitt also
attended and joined Liam on stage at the Lyric.
The Lyric’s current venue was built in 1968 and has become extremely
dilapidated. Actors and staff work in temporary trailers at the back of
the theater building. The new $30 million theater, designed by award-winning
Irish architects O’Donnell & Tuomey, promises to transform Belfast’s
cultural landscape. The designs include a new flexible studio space which
will be used throughout the year to host education, outreach and training
programs with a particular focus on increasing creative development opportunities
for young people from disadvantaged areas. The Lyric has to raise a final
$2million before construction begins this spring.
To find out more about the new Lyric Theatre and its fundraising campaign,
log on to www.supportthelyric.com.
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