David Ireland’s award-winning play Cyprus Avenue, directed by Royal Court Theatre Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone, will be broadcast on BBC Four on Sunday 15 September at 10pm.
Commissioned by The Space, this film of Cyprus Avenue, by David Ireland, mixes live capture of performance from the iconic Royal Court Theatre stage production with location shooting in Belfast.
Starring Stephen Rea and directed by Vicky Featherstone award-winning Cyprus Avenue was originally produced at the Royal Court Theatre, London and Abbey Theatre, Dublin before touring to Belfast and the Public Theater in New York.
Full cast includes Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Chris Corrigan, Andrea Irvine, Amy Molloy and Stephen Rea.
Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director at Royal Court Theatre, commented; “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. What could be more fitting.”
Fiona Morris, Chief Executive and Creative Director at the Space, adds; “Cyprus Avenue is an insightful and timely piece that deserves to be widely seen and discussed, and The Space is delighted to have been able to commission the filming of this fantastic production from the Royal Court.”
Eric Miller is a Belfast Loyalist. He is experiencing a psychotic episode and mistakes his five-week old granddaughter for Gerry Adams. Generations of sectarian trauma convince him that his cultural heritage is under siege. He must act. This hard hitting but in parts hilarious black comedy Cyprus Avenue tells the story of a man struggling with the past and terrified of the future. It was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017. For his portrayal of Eric, Stephen Rea won Best Actor at the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2017.
Cyprus Avenue is scheduled to transmit in the UK on BBC Four Sunday 15 September at 10pm and will then be available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
The adaptation was commissioned by The Space and produced for BBC Four by the Royal Court Theatre. It was Executive Produced by Lucy Davies, Jane Featherstone, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson.
