Ciaran stages cash plea
Ulster actor Ciaran Hinds returned to the stage in Belfast yesterday as the big-screen star took one last look around the building where his career began.
He was given a tour of the Lyric Theatre and lent his support to a new fund-raising drive which will allow people to name a seat in the rebuilt facility.
"When I was a child in the 1960s I was brought to the theatre by my mother and I remember having so many great nights out here," he said.
Those visits sparked his interest in acting, which became his chosen profession, and Ciaran returned to the Lyric as a performer several years later.
So there was more than a touch of nostalgia as he visited the theatre with his mother yesterday.
"I remember tiny little dressing rooms, which six to eight people had to share," he joked, adding that there was plenty he loved about the place.
"Because of the size of the stage, there was a fantastic rapport here between the actors and the audience during the shows. Hopefully, the new Lyric will keep that spirit."
The star was at the theatre to launch a campaign offering people the chance to name a seat in the new auditorium.
Under the scheme, people can make a donation of 500 which will support the construction of the new theatre and see their contribution immortalised on a nameplate on a seat in the building.
The 54-year-old said he would be buying a seat, though added it would most likely be as a tribute to someone else rather than having his own name on it.
And he encouraged others to make a contribution.
"It works out as 10 a week for a year, so it is possible, and it doesn't have to be for the greater glory of one's own name, it can be in memory of someone or a gift for a loved one," he said.
Ciaran's early career included many productions at the Lyric in the 1970s and 1980s, including Equus, Once a Catholic, Whose Life Is It Anyway? and Indian Summer.
He has gone on to star in films such as Stephen Spielberg's Munich, Miami Vice, The Sum of All Fears and he also played Julius Caesar in the lavish television drama, Rome.
He is set to return to the stage for the first time in five years in a broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer, which opens next month and stars another famous Lyric alumni Conleth Hill. But he hasn't ruled out returning to the new Lyric when it is built: "If I was offered a part in a play here that appealed to me I'd consider it – and make a fool of myself on the Lyric stage once more," he joked.
The Lyric are planning to demolish their existing building on the banks of the River Lagan and replace it with a purpose-built 17.5m theatre.
But they have to raise 5m themselves and, at present, face a funding shortfall of 2m, so the drive is on to raise the cash which will secure the future of this much-loved arts institution.
The theatre has seen performances from many of Ulster's finest actors, including Adrian Dunbar, Dan Gordon and Liam Neeson, who is the theatre's patron.
Lyric development director Angela McCloskey said: "We're delighted to have Ciaran's support at this critical moment in our fund-raising campaign.
"Ciaran is one of many fine actors who began their career at the Lyric and have gone on to enjoy great worldwide acclaim in film and television.
"We all reap the benefits when these actors talk passionately not just about the Lyric, but also about Northern Ireland, on the international stage."
l For more information on the fund-raising campaign for the new Lyric, contact the development office on 9038 5692 or log on to www.supportthelyric.com
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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