Love and social ambition take centre stage as the award-winning Belfast Ensemble presents The Necklace, a new musical in concert by acclaimed composer Conor Mitchell. This one-night-only event will be held at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, on Sunday, March 9.
West End star Christina Bennington, known for her role in Bat Out of Hell The Musical, joins the internationally acclaimed ensemble for the world premiere of The Necklace. This ravishing new musical, adapted from Maupassant’s famous story La Parure, explores the constructs of social climbing and class in fin de siècle Paris. The lushly orchestrated chamber musical draws parallels with today’s social media fame and notoriety obsessions, charting the demise of one woman, the diamond necklace she loses, and the society she aspires to be part of.
Presented with a 24-piece orchestra, this concert premieres the work ahead of a 2026 production in Ireland, bringing Mitchell’s symphonic musical theatre writing back to the fore.
Christina Bennington has wowed audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, originating the role of Raven in Bat Out of Hell The Musical with celebrated performances in London’s West End, Toronto, and New York. Her TV appearances include Judy Collins in So Long Marianne and her ongoing role as Cortana in Halo.
Conor Mitchell of The Belfast Ensemble said, “This show has been waiting for its moment, and that moment is now. The rhapsodic lines and depth of harmony take a step forward from the world of Sondheim and Bernstein, building on that tradition of symphonic sound and drama. Big music! Belfast is fast becoming a place of musical invention and new ideas. This is a bold move, allowing audiences into the birth of a work. One that, I hope, reflects our world through the world of the past.”
The cast includes:
- Chanice Alexander-Burnett
- Matthew Cavan
- Adam Gillian
- Mark Dugdale
- Kara Lane
- Ciara Mackey
- Charlie McCullagh
- Brigid Shine
- Nigel Richards
The production is directed by Conor Mitchell, conducted by Iwan Davies, with Jonathan Rainey Reid as Assistant Director and Aoife Magee as Orchestra Associate. The creative team also includes Lighting Operator Mary Tumelty, Production Manager Natalie Murphy, Deputy Stage Manager Cal McElwee, Company Administration Siobhan Barbour, Creative Producer Alice Malseed, and Executive Producer Beki Bateson.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
