A revival of Marie Jones’s The Blind Fiddler will return to Belfast for the first time in two decades, as the city prepares to host the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
The production, which also forms part of the Lyric Theatre Belfast’s 75th anniversary programme, explores family, memory and cultural identity set to traditional Irish music.
“It was obvious to me,” said writer and actor Marie Jones of the decision to bring the play back to the stage.
“Twenty years ago when I wrote it, Irish music wasn’t fashionable here in the city. You couldn’t play it, it was seen as divisive - even sectarian.”
Inspired by a true story, the play follows Kathleen Gormley, a woman who travels to Lough Derg following the death of her father in a bid to better understand who he was and why their relationship fractured.
As she undertakes the pilgrimage, she is drawn back through memories of her childhood growing up above a pub in working-class Belfast - an “oasis of traditional music during the dark days of the Troubles”.
Read more: Bid launched to expand popular Belfast city centre cocktail bar in time for the Fleadh
Caught between her mother’s ambitions for social mobility and her father’s determination to hold on to his cultural roots, Kathleen is forced to confront the tensions that shaped her upbringing, ultimately uncovering a long-held family secret.
Directed by Jones’s son, Matthew McElhinney, the production is loosely based on the life of community figure Kate Kelly.
Speaking at a launch event for the production, McElhinney described her as a creative “force”.
“She was a huge presence within the arts,” he said.
“She sadly passed away three years ago, but a letter from Mo Mowlam and Hillary Clinton was found among her effects, which gives you a sense of how significant she was.
“And while this is a fictional story, it draws on elements of her life.”
The themes at the heart of the play, Jones suggests, are rooted in a period when traditional music was often suppressed in parts of Belfast.
“There would be no Irish music played whatsoever because it would just cause trouble,” she told The Irish News.
“But it was part of who people were, it was in your blood and your DNA, but when you came into the city, you couldn’t express that.”
Read more: Marie Jones’ award-winning ‘Stones’ rolling home to Lyric for 25th anniversary
That experience, she added, stands in stark contrast to the present day, with Belfast preparing to host the world’s largest celebration of Irish music, dance and culture for the first time.
“We’ve gone from that to a complete and utter celebration of the music,” she said.
“In a sense, the play makes that journey - from when it was oppressed and subversive, to the celebration that it is today.”
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is expected to draw between 600,000 and 800,000 visitors to the city this summer, marking a significant cultural and tourism milestone.
Jones said it was important that stories reflecting the complexities of that cultural history sit alongside the celebrations.
“Musicians at the time, in the 70s and 80s, were hiding their instruments and bringing them in, wrapped in newspaper to play in lofts, whereas now they play all over the world.
“I think it’s important to highlight and remember just how far we’ve come over the last few decades.”
The production will feature performances from internationally renowned musicians, including Cathal Hayden and Máirtín O’Connor, alongside a cast including Antoinette Morrelli and Kerri Quinn.
Read more: Ceol agus craic on shores of Lough Neagh as Co Derry fleadh takes place this weekend
Quinn said the project was one she was keen to be part of, particularly given its connection to the Fleadh and her own background in Irish dance.
“It’s a world I was really familiar with growing up, going to Fleadhs, being around trad music - so that was a big pull for me,” she said.
Having previously worked with Jones, she said returning to one of her plays, alongside a cast she described as her “nearest and dearest” - was another major draw.
“You have to enjoy your work, and with people like this involved, there’s always a bit of craic to be had,” she said.
Describing the play as “full of heart”, Quinn said it offers both humour and emotional depth.
“It’s about relationships and families and trying to raise a family during a time that was really difficult,” she said.
“And at the centre of it is the music - the power of it, and what it drives people to do. There’s a lot of relatability there for local audiences.”
She added: “There’s plenty of laughs in it, but it’s also a heart-wrenching story, it really has everything.”
The Blind Fiddler will run at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast from July 31 to August 16.
