“… at last the unclean spirit of sectarianism had been dragged before the floodlights and examined with passion, wit and corrosive laughter”. Sam Hanna Bell

Bright Umbrella present the 60th Anniversary production of Sam Thompson’s iconic Ulster play, ‘Over the Bridge’, a powerful portrayal of sectarianism and murder in the Belfast shipyards. In 1959, after the play’s banning by the Group Theatre’s Board of Directors following government representations, Director James Ellis and many of the cast and crew resigned and formed a new company to direct a production of the play. It was eventually seen by over 80,000 people throughout these islands including many East Belfast shipyard workers who dubbed it, ‘our play, our story’..

Tickets €15
Running time 120 mins plus a 15 min interval

WRITTEN BY Sam Thompson
DIRECTED BY Trevor Gill
LIGHTING DESIGN BY Lauren Wedgeworth
SET DESIGN BY Trevor Gill / PJ Davey
COSTUME DESIGN BY Marina Hampton
PERFORMED BY Adrian Bridle
Sam Boyd
Paula Byrne
Matthew Cassidy
Graham Chipperfield
PJ Davey
Paul Fitzsimons
Trevor Gill
Jenny McCarley
Richard McFerran
Robert McGregor
Fiona Roberts
Louis Rolston
Joe Sharkey

About the company…
Formed in 2017, Bright Umbrella’s mission is, ‘Entertain, Educate, Challenge’. They operate from The Sanctuary Theatre, East Belfast with a special commitment to works relating to East Belfast and to the modern reinterpretation of classical works including Shakespeare and Irish classics.