By Conor O’Neill
Photography courtesy of Carrie Davenport
‘I wanna hold you, wanna hold you tight, get teenage kicks right through the night…’ Yes folks, it back and coming to a bigger stage than before! It’s just been announced that the hit musical Good Vibrations is to return to a Belfast stage and this time it’s the best of the lot, the good old Grand Opera House.
The smash-hit Lyric production, directed by Des Kennedy (Piaf, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), written by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson, and with musical direction by Katie Richardson and choreography by Jennifer Rooney, the story of Terri Hooley and company is to run from May 9th to May 20th this year.
*Glen Wallace as terri Hooley and Jane Widener as Ruth Carr*
It’s 1970s Belfast. Terri Hooley -radical, rebel, music-lover, is the owner of Good Vibrations record shop on ‘the most bombed half mile in Europe’. When the conflict shuts down his city, Terri and his friends take sides and take up arms through their compelling voice of resistance in the city’s underground punk scene. Galvanising young musicians into action, he becomes the unlikely leader of a motley band of kids and punks who join him in his mission to create a new community, an Alternative Ulster, and bring the city back to life.
The cast includes Glen Wallace (Hollyoaks, The Secret) as Terri Hooley with Jayne Wisener (Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd), Marty Maguire, Christina Nelson, Curtis Lee Ashqar, Gavin Pedan, Odhran McNulty, Jolene O’Hara and Dylan Reid. Just a stone’s throw from the site of the old record shop, this production feature iconic punk anthem including Teenage Kick, Just Another Teenage Rebel and Alternative Ulster.
The Lyric’s executive producer, Jimmy Fay said: “In 2018 we offered Belfast the world premier of the stage version of the wonderful film Good Vibrations and were completely overwhelmed by the responses from our audiences, the theatre sector, the music press and the punks. The story of Terri Hooley and the punk bands he came in contact with is one of the great ballads of Belfast. It created music that has lasted and provided a soundtrack to many crazy, messy and fun-filled nights and pointed towards a way out of the dark. We are delighted to bring this important story of Belfast’s musical history back to audiences at the Grand Opera House.”
It was a blast last time around, and with such a stellar cast and setting, the show looks cert to be another crowd-pleaser.
For tickets visit http://www.goh.co.uk or simply phone the box office on 02890 241919
ENDS
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