Theatre News

Cyprus Avenue starring Stephen Rea to be broadcast on BBC4

The broadcast will mix live performance with on-location footage

Stephen Rea in Cyprus Avenue
Stephen Rea in Cyprus Avenue
© Ros Kavanagh

David Ireland's smash hit play Cyprus Avenue will be broadcast on BBC 4 on 15 September, it has been announced.

Ireland's piece, about a father who believes his five week-old granddaughter is the reincarnation of Gerry Adams, recently ran on the main stage at London's Royal Court. It was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017.

The broadcast, commissioned by The Space, will mix live capture of performance from the iconic Royal Court Theatre stage production with location shooting in Belfast. The full cast also includes Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Chris Corrigan, Andrea Irvine and Amy Molloy.

The stage production is directed by the venue's artistic director Vicky Featherstone with set and costume design by Lizzie Clachan, lighting design by Paul Keogan and sound design by David McSeveney.

Featherstone said: "This is such an extraordinary opportunity granted to us by The Space for more people to see this exceptional play – all of us involved feel strongly that it communicates vital messages about intolerance, systemic hatred and violence and examines the consequences of long term division and national trauma."