Entertainment

West End star Zoe Rainey back on Belfast stage in new Conor Mitchell work

The premiere concert reading of The Young Pornographers, by Conor Mitchell, features a stellar cast and 14-piece orchestra
The premiere concert reading of The Young Pornographers, by Conor Mitchell, features a stellar cast and 14-piece orchestra The premiere concert reading of The Young Pornographers, by Conor Mitchell, features a stellar cast and 14-piece orchestra

CENSORSHIP, art and love in 1950s Berlin are explored in the concert reading of a new work by Lurgan composer Conor Mitchell. Produced as part of the Lyric theatre's commitment to develop and support local artists, The Young Pornographers tells the story of a young couple trapped in the Soviet East during the Cold War, when to speak out was treachery, to create art subversion.

The premiere performance will feature a 14-piece orchestra and a host of local talent, including Bangor woman Zoe Rainey who has appeared in West End shows including An American In Paris, Hairspray and Wicked, as well as in Kenneth Branagh-directed productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Winter’s Tale.

She will be joined by Matthew Cavan, Sean Kearns, Ciara Mackey, international opera singer Rebecca Caine and Steven Page, who recently starred in the Lyric and NI Opera's Sweeney Todd.

"Conor Mitchell is one of our most exciting composers and theatre makers. His work is hugely ambitious and intelligent. This is a hugely exciting play for us to present in a workshop form and we hope it leads to a performance in the future," says Lyric executive producer Jimmy Fay.

:: The Young Pornographers: A Concert Reading takes place on April 4 at 7.45pm. Lyrictheatre.co.uk.