As Coventry UK
City of Culture 2021 enters its final four months, the Belgrade Theatre is thrilled to be producing the world premiere of
Fighting
Irish. The new drama based on a true story from Coventry writer Jamie McGough runs in B2 from Sat 2 –
Sat 16 April.
Co-Directed by
the Belgrade’s Creative Director, Corey
Campbell, and former Artistic Director, Hamish Glen – who stepped down in December 2021 following an 18
year tenure – Fighting Irish will see the flexible B2 auditorium presented
in-the-round for the first time ever.
Set in Dublin in
1979, Fighting Irish follows Jarlath McGough, Coventry’s newest
light-heavyweight champion, as he returns to Ireland to defend his title. Prejudice,
corrupt officials and warring factions in Ireland mean that Jarlath faces more
than one fearsome challenger to his crown. The remarkable fight for identity
pushes the McGough family unity to the brink.
The debut play
from Coventry writer Jamie McGough, Fighting
Irish
tells the true story of McGough’s own family, inspired by his family’s
retellings of the historic events.
Writer Jamie McGough
said: “I was lucky to have the story of
Fighting Irish in my family and I wanted to pay tribute to them while contributing
to Coventry’s City of Culture programme. I’m very grateful that the Belgrade
have seen the potential in my story - I think we’re making something people can
be very excited by.”
Co-Director Corey
Campbell said: “I’m very excited to be
working on Fighting Irish with Jamie, a local writer with a bright future ahead
of him. My personal mission is to put local stories on stage and create a
dynamic space for those stories and the local community. I’m also excited to
learn what I can from Hamish in our handover show. He’s got a lot of experience
and welcomed me into this organisation almost five years ago. I’m very
grateful, very passionate about the work and very excited to make it happen.”
Co-Director
Hamish Glen said: “I’m very excited about
my last production for the Belgrade, and having always believed that theatres
are local places, I’m delighted to be part of Fighting Irish. Throughout my
time at the Theatre, I’ve been looking for a local piece of work to engage with
the Irish community in the city.
“It will be a real pleasure to work
with Corey. The show cries out for a strong, expressive, physical production –
all the hallmarks of Corey‘s work. I am proud to be contributing to the
Belgrade’s City of Culture programme with a new, local play by a first-time
writer, telling an extraordinary true story.”
Tickets for Fighting Irish are
available by phoning the Box Office on 024 7655 3055 (phone lines open 10:30am
– 2pm, Mon – Sat), or visiting www.belgrade.co.uk
where tickets are even cheaper.